Hezbollah released a video on Tuesday showing fighters dressed in white, camouflaged in the snow and performing military drills. (Credit: Screenshot of the video)
BEIRUT— Hezbollah released a video on Tuesday showing fighters in white winter camouflage uniforms performing military exercises in the snow. The video has attracted satirical comments from Lebanese viewers and gained attention from the Israeli media.
Here’s what we know:
• The two-minute video circulating on social media starts with dramatic music and exhibits fighters shooting blue targets marked with the star of David, mirroring the flag of Israel. The fighters then descend over snowy slopes on snowmobiles, before a voice says: "Hezbollah has a specificity: terror spreads before it."
Hezbollah on ice ? ? ❄️ ☃️
— Jean-Marc Mojon (@mojobeirut) February 16, 2022
You're welcome pic.twitter.com/BEZCCY4JiW
• Not to be left out, the Lebanese army also posted a one-minute video on Tuesday showing soldiers walking in the snow and conducting military as well as snow rescue exercises.
#سرايا_القتال_الجبلي
— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) February 15, 2022
في كل الفصول رغم كل الظروف#الجيش_اللبناني #LebaneseArmy pic.twitter.com/L3soGIzhLO
• UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping force in South Lebanon, also got in on the winter fun, and posted a photo on Tuesday of its forces walking in the snow, captioned: “Despite challenging circumstances including snow, UNIFIL peacemakers continue to preserve stability through south Lebanon, demonstrating commitment to the UN Resolution UNSCR1701 - the core of the mission’s mandate.”
Despite challenging circumstances, including snow ❄️, #UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to preserve stability throughout south Lebanon ??, demonstrating commitment to the @UN Resolution #UNSCR1701 - the core of the mission's mandate.#A4P pic.twitter.com/lKDyVU0Swf
— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) February 15, 2022
• Hezbollah’s video took the attention of the Israeli media. The Jerusalem Post likened Hezbollah fighters’ camouflage uniforms to those of the Israeli Army saying: "Like [Israeli Army] troops in the military’s reserve Alpine Unit, operatives in the video were wearing white uniforms to camouflage with the snow in south Lebanon."
• The Hezbollah video calls to mind an incident in 2013 when photos of controversial Salafist Sheikh Ahmad Al-Assir went viral after some Kfardebian residents blocked the road and prevented him from skiing or “whatever he was planning to do,” wrote Blog Baladi on Jan. 24 of that year. Many took to social media expressing their disdain for this block, as it seemed to lack any valid explanation.
Salafist leader Ahmad Al-Assir engages in a snowball fight with his supporters in the Faraya ski area in Mount Lebanon on Jan. 24, 2013. (Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
• Assir headed an Islamist group in 2013 that attacked the Lebanese Army in Saida. He became a notorious personality in Lebanon’s political landscape, often clashing with Hezbollah and Iran. He spent years as a wanted fugitive after the Saida clashes but was eventually detained in 2015. Assir was sentenced to death in 2017, while an appeal against the sentence is still pending.