Southern Lebanon is shrouded in the fog of war, with the Israel-Hezbollah conflict and its fragile ceasefire remaining unclear. Hezbollah's provocation of Israel, involving the killing of eight Israeli soldiers, the kidnapping of two others, and rocket attacks on northern Israel, was strategically timed with Iran's nuclear program under international scrutiny. As Iran's creation and primary patron, Hezbollah acted to distract from Iran's issues and assert regional power, having stockpiled weapons and supplies in fortified positions over several years. Hezbollah's goals were to inflict maximum casualties on Israel, whether military or civilian, and to survive the inevitable Israeli counteroffensive. Surviving was the priority, and despite heavy losses and no territorial gains, Hezbollah claimed victory for withstanding Israel's response without being completely destroyed. Hezbollah's strategy benefited from prolonged conflict, enhancing its reputation the longer it avoided a decisive Israeli victory, while hiding weapons and fighters in civilian homes to exploit casualties for propaganda. The ceasefire was deemed advantageous for Hezbollah, allowing it to quit while still operational, having survived Israeli air strikes and retained the ability to fire rockets on northern Israel. Its forces in fortified bunkers in southern Lebanon resisted IDF troops, causing casualties, and Hezbollah claimed a unique success among Arab forces. Though militarily weakened and having lost popular support due to the destruction in Lebanon, Hezbollah remains a useful tool for Iran, ready to be deployed again when the time is right. Under the ceasefire agreement of U.N. Resolution 1701, Hezbollah refuses to disarm, insisting it must protect southern Lebanon from Israeli aggression, creating a deadlock as Israel will not withdraw until peacekeepers are in place. With neither side having a strong incentive to resume fighting, and despite the unlikelihood of the resolution's implementation by the set deadline, Hezbollah's position remains tactically significant in the ongoing regional tension.