BEIRUT, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Faced with Israel's advantages in firepower, air capabilities and military technology, Hezbollah has increasingly relied on guerrilla tactics in southern Lebanon to slow Israeli advances, stretch their resources, raise military costs and complicate battlefield planning, analysts have said.
The shift marks a broader evolution in the conflict since March, from missile exchanges and airstrikes to Israeli ground incursions, they said.
Citing Hezbollah's decades of combat experience with Israel, Lebanese researcher Ali Darbaj told Xinhua recently that the current phase relies less on direct confrontation than on small units exploiting terrain and mobility.
Southern Lebanon's hills, valleys, interconnected villages and narrow roads hinder large military formations, favoring "concealment, surveillance, and surprise attacks" by "small and mobile groups," Darbaj explained.
Effectiveness, he argued, is measured not by immediate battlefield gains, but by forcing adversaries to allocate more resources to reconnaissance, protection, and logistics, potentially slowing operations and increasing costs.
Hezbollah's recent military statements have confirmed a focus on troop movements, gathering points and new positions, aiming to sustain pressure on Israeli forces rather than engage in large-scale battles.
Military and political analyst Nidaa Issa called this modern attrition warfare, where success accumulates through repeated operations to degrade "the adversary's ability to maneuver, sustainment, and operational flexibility."
Issa also pointed to Hezbollah's growing use of drones for reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and attacks, expanding options for non-state actors and complicating the battlefield.
Beyond physical impact, repeated attacks and the threat of surprise strikes can impose psychological pressure, forcing continuous alertness and additional security measures, analysts have said.
In essence, the ongoing fighting tests whether unconventional tactics can offset technological superiority, a question that pits Israel's firepower and air dominance against Hezbollah's mobility, surprise, terrain and attrition, they added. ■
