'Hezbollah may not be strong enough to attack Israel or support Assad, but it's not eliminated,' says Hochstein

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein said on Saturday that while Hezbollah may no longer have the strength to attack Israel or support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, it has not been entirely eliminated, according to Reuters.

“We don't think we've eliminated Hezbollah or taken it out. It may not be strong enough to attack Israel or support Assad, but it's not eliminated,” Hochstein said. He also called for increased U.S. support for the Lebanese Army and urged other countries to follow suit.

Hochstein also noted that developments in Syria have created vulnerabilities for Hezbollah, stating: "What's happening in Syria is creating a new weakness for Hezbollah because it makes it more difficult for Iran, which is pulling out of Syria it seems, to get weapons in." 

In the past 10 days, opposition led by radical Islamist factions from northwestern Syria have seized dozens of towns and two major cities, Aleppo and Hama. By Saturday, they had also taken control of Quneitra, Sanamayn, and Daraa and were advancing on Damascus.

Ahmad al-Dalati, the deputy leader of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), said the offensive had no objectives in Lebanon. He called on the Lebanese government to ensure Hezbollah withdraws its remaining fighters from Syrian territory.

Meanwhile, a source close to Hezbollah told AFP that the group had dispatched 2,000 fighters to reinforce one of its strongholds in Syria.

Hezbollah has fought alongside the forces of President Bashar al-Assad during Syria's war since 2011. The group "sent 2,000 fighters to the Qusayr area" near the Lebanese border, the source told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

The source said that since the Islamist-led rebel offensive began last week, Hezbollah has not taken an active part in the fighting yet.

The group's fighters had been sent "to defend its positions" in the mountains along the Syria-Lebanon border, the source said, adding that Hezbollah "has not yet participated in any battles."