Israeli report claims 70 percent of Hezbollah members are compromised

Fresh claims aired in Israeli media have reignited debate over the depth of Israeli intelligence penetration inside Hezbollah, raising serious questions about the group’s internal cohesion, operational security, and future role in Lebanon.

An anonymous Hezbollah operative, speaking to Israel’s N12 channel, alleged that a majority of the group’s fighters are effectively compromised, reasserting a separate investigative reporting that has previously detailed decades of Israeli intelligence efforts targeting the group’s leadership and infrastructure.

Groundbreaking allegations from within

In the N12 interview, the Hezbollah operative, described as a member of the group’s military wing, claimed that Israel has infiltrated the organization to an unprecedented degree.

He alleged that as many as 70% of Hezbollah operatives are “working with Israel,” either knowingly or under coercion, and that Israeli intelligence possesses intimate knowledge of fighters’ families and daily lives. He claimed that “Israel knows the name of every child here, their father, and their sister,” and that Tel Aviv “knows more about us than we know about ourselves.” According to the operative, this level of penetration has created constant fear among members, who now expect Israeli strikes or assassinations at any moment.

Indeed, a poll in Israel conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute showed that 71% of respondents expect fighting to resume with Hezbollah in Lebanon, while 69% believe a major conflict could erupt with Iran.

The source also suggested that Hezbollah suffers from a severe internal intelligence gap, hinting that some senior figures may be acting as double agents. He said operatives often rely on Israeli military statements, such as those from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic Spokesperson Avichai Adraee, to anticipate developments on the ground, a remark that underscores the erosion of trust within the group’s ranks.

Disillusionment and calls for disarmament

Beyond intelligence failures, the interview revealed growing frustration among fighters over the cost of continued confrontation. The operative said that “if [the Lebanese government] takes our weapons away and returns us to our homes and lands, I think, as far as I’m concerned, that is what needs to be done,” adding that “why do I need the weapons that caused me to live in hunger? If they let me live a normal life with dignity, in my home and my land, with my family, and we return to what we were before the war, then I’m willing to have our weapons taken away.” He argued that Hezbollah’s arms had failed to protect Lebanese territory and instead brought hunger, displacement, and destruction.

Notably, he claimed that around 60% of Hezbollah operatives share similar views but are unable to express them publicly. The comments reflect a rare glimpse of internal dissent within a movement that has long presented a unified front. The operative also contrasted the leadership styles of the late Hassan Nasrallah and his successor, Naim Qassem, suggesting that many fighters feel disconnected from the current leadership and uncertain about its direction, claiming that “we do not understand him.”

A long record of intelligence penetration

These claims have reaffirmed a previous detailed investigation by The New York Times on 29 December 2024, which reported that Israeli intelligence agencies had spent decades building an extensive spy network inside Hezbollah.

According to the report, Israeli operations ranged from recruiting human sources to planting listening devices in bunkers and tracking the personal movements of senior commanders. Major breakthroughs, including a 2012 cyber and signals intelligence operation attributed to Israel’s Unit 8200, reportedly gave Israel detailed knowledge of Hezbollah’s leadership hideouts and missile stockpiles.

The report linked this intelligence buildup to high-impact operations, including the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and earlier sabotage efforts that crippled Hezbollah’s communications and logistics (such as the Pager attacks).

Taken together, the aforementioned insider’s testimony paint a picture of a group under intense internal strain. Whether the claims of widespread collaboration are exaggerated or not, they highlight deep mistrust, disillusionment, and vulnerability within Hezbollah. As Lebanon grapples with ongoing instability and regional tensions persist, these revelations may have lasting implications for Hezbollah’s standing, its relationship with the Lebanese state, and the broader balance of power along the Israel-Lebanon frontier.