Israel's targeting of Hezbollah headquarters: What are the sections within Hezbollah's operations room?

Report by Petra Abou Haidar, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

On September 27, 2024, the Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari announced the destruction of Hezbollah's central headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs by assassinating Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. 

The Israeli military claimed that the strike dealt a significant blow to Hezbollah, targeting its operational hub and military command center.

Hagari alleged that the operation was part of Israel's broader strategy to weaken Hezbollah's military capabilities and disrupt its command structure, specifically impeding the group's ability to manage and coordinate battlefield strategies. 

The Israeli army emphasized that the destruction of Hezbollah's operations room marked the achievement of a primary objective.

However, Hezbollah refuted these claims, stating that its operations room remains operational. 

Hezbollah highlighted two key factors.

Operational continuity: In recent days, the operations room has been the primary source for disseminating official updates on military developments and issuing regular statements detailing the ongoing situation on the ground.

Field developments: The recent return to coordinated fire and the established policy of retaliation—whether from Haifa towards Beirut's southern suburbs or from Tel Aviv towards Beirut—demonstrates a strategic decision-making process that cannot occur without the command structure in place. This includes recent targeted operations, such as the attack on the Golani Brigade in Binyamina, which require high-level coordination and directives.
 
Hezbollah also noted recent successes, including thwarting Israeli ground invasions, targeting infiltrating forces, and providing missile and artillery support to defensive positions. 

According to Hezbollah, these actions reflect an intact and functioning military hierarchy, with its operations room coordinating between various divisions. 

What are the sections within Hezbollah's operations room?

The operations room comprises several sections, each critical to the overall functionality:

The operations section sets objectives, devises strategies, and assigns tasks to combat units.

The coordination section facilitates cooperation between military units and manages fire control. 

The intelligence section gathers and analyzes information, assesses battlefield performance, and provides recommendations. 

The communications section ensures communication between combat units, the operations room, and military leadership. 

The support section handles logistical support, including military supplies and provisions.

Each of these sections operates as an interconnected network, relaying information to the operations room and ultimately to the general staff, which defines the battle's course.