IDF: Hezbollah has lost one-third of its forces since 2023

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) estimates that approximately one-third of Hezbollah's fighters have been eliminated since the conflict began in October 2023. Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, the IDF's chief spokesman, stated on Thursday that 2,500 Hezbollah fighters have been killed since March, bringing the total to between 7,000 and 8,000 since the war started.

Defrin's remarks aimed to address criticism that the IDF and the government are not adequately protecting residents and troops along the northern border from Hezbollah's FPV drone attacks. He noted that Hezbollah had an estimated 30,000 fighters in 2023, suggesting the current attrition rate is significant.

However, the IDF's own figures present some inconsistencies, with other officials previously estimating Hezbollah's strength at 40,000 to 50,000. The IDF also reported that 10,000 Hezbollah fighters have been wounded during the current war, with thousands more injured in previous conflicts. Despite these reassurances, some senior IDF officials acknowledge that a definitive solution to the FPV drone threat could take months.

“

Around one third of Hezbollah's pre-2023 forces have been killed by the IDF in recent years.