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Hezbollah Launches Donation Campaign to Purchase Missiles, Drones

Hezbollah members take part in a military exercise during a media tour organized for the occasion of Resistance and Liberation Day, in Aaramta, Lebanon, May 21, 2023. (Reuters)
Hezbollah members take part in a military exercise during a media tour organized for the occasion of Resistance and Liberation Day, in Aaramta, Lebanon, May 21, 2023. (Reuters)
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Hezbollah Launches Donation Campaign to Purchase Missiles, Drones

Hezbollah members take part in a military exercise during a media tour organized for the occasion of Resistance and Liberation Day, in Aaramta, Lebanon, May 21, 2023. (Reuters)
Hezbollah members take part in a military exercise during a media tour organized for the occasion of Resistance and Liberation Day, in Aaramta, Lebanon, May 21, 2023. (Reuters)

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group did not stop at involving foreign armed parties in its fight against Israel allegedly in support of Gaza, but has moved further to involving civilians in a donation campaign in order to purchase missiles and drones to continue its fight against Israel.
The Iran-backed party launched the campaign, providing telephone numbers for contact purposes, encouraging civilians to “be part of the battle” that it has waged against Israel in what it says is in support of Gaza.
Some sides have interpreted Hezbollah’s move as a “weakness”, criticizing it for boasting about its military powers and ability to “change the equation to eliminate Israel”, meanwhile asking for donations to purchase weapons.
The party’s campaign came in parallel with an announcement made by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who said he “opened channels” with the World Bank and friendly countries to “participate in the reconstruction of what Israel destroyed in South Lebanon during the Gaza war”.
Former MP Fares Souaid, head of the Lady of the Mountain gathering, criticized Hezbollah and Berri’s “double standards”.
“Double standards are extremely annoying because one side is asking the world to help rebuild the South, and another asks for donations to continue the war and prolong destruction”, said Souaid.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the MP said Hezbollah “is indirectly declaring itself in a deep political and financial crisis, which indicates that Iran has taken a decision to stop funding (Hezbollah’s) war in South Lebanon”.
Strength or Weakness?
The confrontation that Hezbollah chose to wage against Israel has so far achieved none of the party’s goals, mainly in preventing Israel from invading Gaza or preventing it from diminishing the capabilities of Hamas.
Hezbollah only succeeded at driving Israeli civilians out of their settlements in northern Israel and away from Lebanon’s southern border.
But, this war has caused massive destruction to more than 40 villages in south Lebanon, and has displaced its residents and left more than 500 Lebanese civilians and fighters dead.
The donation campaign “raises a lot of question marks for people of the South” on whether it implies the party’s “strength or weakness”, said Souaid.
He said Hezbollah has always boasted about its ability to wage a “war of that size with Israel”, and has always challenged the international will and claimed an ability to eradicate Israel, “is it possible that it begs for donations from the southerners to continue its war?” he asked.
In February 2022, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said that his group has been manufacturing military drones in Lebanon and has the technology to turn thousands of missiles in their possession into precision-guided munitions.
“We have started manufacturing drones in Lebanon a long time ago. Those who want to buy can fill out an application,” he had said.
Media Provocation
For his part, political analyst Qasem Qasir, told Asharq Al-Awsat the campaign could be part of an effort to engage people in the party’s warfare. He ruled out the possibility of any diminishing Iranian support.
“It could be an attempt to make people feel involved in the confrontation...and to show popular support for the party at this stage”, he underlined.
Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily fire since Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel sparked the war in Gaza.
Fighting has intensified in recent weeks, with Israel striking deeper into Lebanese territory, while Hezbollah has stepped up its missile and drone attacks on military positions in northern Israel.

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Arab World

Palestinians in the West Bank Struggle to Get by as Israel Severely Limits Work Permits

Palestinians protest after Israeli soldiers blocked the entrance of the Nur Shams Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on February 9, 2026, demanding to be allowed to return to their homes from where they were expelled last year during an ongoing Israeli army operation. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
Palestinians protest after Israeli soldiers blocked the entrance of the Nur Shams Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on February 9, 2026, demanding to be allowed to return to their homes from where they were expelled last year during an ongoing Israeli army operation. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
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Palestinians in the West Bank Struggle to Get by as Israel Severely Limits Work Permits

Palestinians protest after Israeli soldiers blocked the entrance of the Nur Shams Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on February 9, 2026, demanding to be allowed to return to their homes from where they were expelled last year during an ongoing Israeli army operation. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
Palestinians protest after Israeli soldiers blocked the entrance of the Nur Shams Palestinian refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on February 9, 2026, demanding to be allowed to return to their homes from where they were expelled last year during an ongoing Israeli army operation. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)

Hanadi Abu Zant hasn’t been able to pay rent on her apartment in the occupied West Bank for nearly a year after losing her permit to work inside Israel. When her landlord calls the police on her, she hides in a mosque.

“My biggest fear is being kicked out of my home. Where will we sleep, on the street?” she said, wiping tears from her cheeks.

She is among some 100,000 Palestinians whose work permits were revoked after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the war in the Gaza Strip. Confined to the occupied territory, where jobs are scarce and wages far lower, they face dwindling and dangerous options as the economic crisis deepens, The Associated Press said.

Some have sold their belongings or gone into debt as they try to pay for food, electricity and school expenses for their children. Others have paid steep fees for black-market permits or tried to sneak into Israel, risking arrest or worse if they are mistaken for militants.

Israel, which has controlled the West Bank for nearly six decades, says it is under no obligation to allow Palestinians to enter for work and makes such decisions based on security considerations. Thousands of Palestinians are still allowed to work in scores of Jewish settlements across the West Bank, built on land they want for a future state.

Risk of collapse

The World Bank has warned that the West Bank economy is at risk of collapse because of Israel’s restrictions. By the end of last year, unemployment had surged to nearly 30% compared with around 12% before the war, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

Before the war, tens of thousands of Palestinians worked inside Israel, mainly in construction and service jobs. Wages can be more than double those in the landlocked West Bank, where decades of Israeli checkpoints, land seizures and other restrictions have weighed heavily on the economy. Palestinians also blame the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in parts of the territory, for not doing enough to create jobs.

About 100,000 Palestinians had work permits that were revoked after the outbreak of the war. Israel has since reinstated fewer than 10,000, according to Gisha, an Israeli group advocating for Palestinian freedom of movement.

Wages earned in Israel injected some $4 billion into the Palestinian economy in 2022, according to the Institute for National Security Studies, an Israeli think tank. That’s equivalent to about two-thirds of the Palestinian Authority's budget that year.

An Israeli official said Palestinians do not have an inherent right to enter Israel, and that permits are subject to security considerations. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Israel seized the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians want for a future state. Some 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, along with over 500,000 Israeli settlers who can come and go freely.

The war in Gaza has brought a spike in Palestinian attacks on Israelis as well as settler violence. Military operations that Israel says are aimed at dismantling militant groups have caused heavy damage in the West Bank and displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians.

‘My refrigerator, it’s empty’

After her husband left her five years ago, Abu Zant secured a job at a food-packing plant in Israel that paid around $1,400 a month, enough to support her four children. When the war erupted, she thought the ban would only last a few months. She baked pastries for friends to scrape by.

Hasan Joma, who ran a business in Tulkarem before the war helping people find work in Israel, said Palestinian brokers are charging more than triple the price for a permit.

While there are no definite figures, tens of thousands of Palestinians are believed to be working illegally in Israel, according to Esteban Klor, professor of economics at Israel's Hebrew University and a senior researcher at the INSS. Some risk their lives trying to cross Israel’s separation barrier, which consists of 9-meter high (30-foot) concrete walls, fences and closed military roads.

Shuhrat Barghouthi’s husband has spent five months in prison for trying to climb the barrier to enter Israel for work, she said. Before the war, the couple worked in Israel earning a combined $5,700 a month. Now they are both unemployed and around $14,000 in debt.

“Come and see my refrigerator, it’s empty, there’s nothing to feed my children,” she said. She can’t afford to heat her apartment, where she hasn’t paid rent in two years. She says her children are often sick and frequently go to bed hungry.

Sometimes she returns home to see her belongings strewn in the street by the landlord, who has been trying to evict them.

Forced to work in settlements

Of the roughly 48,000 Palestinians who worked in Israeli settlements before the war, more than 65% have kept their permits, according to Gisha. The Palestinians and most of the international community view the settlements, which have rapidly expanded in recent years, as illegal.

Israeli officials did not respond to questions about why more Palestinians are permitted to work in the settlements.

Palestinians employed in the settlements, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, say their employers have beefed up security since the start of the war and are far more willing to fire anyone stepping out of line, knowing there are plenty more desperate for work.

Two Palestinians working in the Mishor Adumim settlement said security guards look through workers’ phones and revoke their permits arbitrarily.

Israelis have turned to foreign workers to fill jobs held by Palestinians, but some say it’s a poor substitute because they cost more and do not know the language. Palestinians speak Arabic, but those who work in Israel are often fluent in Hebrew.

Raphael Dadush, an Israeli developer, said the permit crackdown has resulted in costly delays.

Before the war, Palestinians made up more than half his workforce. He’s tried to replace them with Chinese workers but says it’s not exactly the same. He understands the government’s decision, but says it’s time to find a way for Palestinians to return that ensures Israel’s security.

Assaf Adiv, the executive director of an Israeli group advocating for Palestinian labor rights, says there has to be some economic integration or there will be “chaos.”

“The alternative to work in Israel is starvation and desperation,” he said.

Arab World

Damascus Govt Takes Over Control of Rmeilan Field, Says Syria's Oil Belongs to All

A man walks next to pumpjacks on the day a Syrian government delegation visits the oil-rich city of Rmeilan to inspect oil fields and finalize agreements signed between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Rmeilan, Syria, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)
A man walks next to pumpjacks on the day a Syrian government delegation visits the oil-rich city of Rmeilan to inspect oil fields and finalize agreements signed between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Rmeilan, Syria, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)
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Damascus Govt Takes Over Control of Rmeilan Field, Says Syria's Oil Belongs to All

A man walks next to pumpjacks on the day a Syrian government delegation visits the oil-rich city of Rmeilan to inspect oil fields and finalize agreements signed between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Rmeilan, Syria, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)
A man walks next to pumpjacks on the day a Syrian government delegation visits the oil-rich city of Rmeilan to inspect oil fields and finalize agreements signed between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in Rmeilan, Syria, February 9, 2026. (Reuters)

The Damascus government kicked off on Monday measures to assume control of the Rmeilan oil field, Syria's second largest, in the northeastern Hasakah province.

The move took place after it took over Qamishli airport in line with an agreement with the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that was reached on January 29.

A Syrian Petroleum Company delegation visited Hasakah oil fields on Monday as part of the process to bring the Rmeilan and Sweidiyeh fields back under state administration, reported the official news agency SANA.

The delegation, accompanied by Hasakah’s Internal Security chief Marwan al‑Ali, met field managers and held a brief press conference addressing questions on future operations, fuel prices once production resumes, and whether part of the revenues could support the local area.

The Company vowed that Syria's oil "belongs to everyone" and that workers at the Rmeilan field will keep their jobs. Security at the field will be handled by guards from the region.

The team toured al‑Awda field in rural Qamishli to assess conditions and hear from workers. Deputy CEO Walid al‑Youssef said several agreements are already in place to support the oil and gas sector and improve infrastructure in Rmeilan. He noted that the current staff will remain in their positions with salary increases, reported SANA.

The Company officials said the visit aims to establish direct communication with technical teams as preparations begin for the handover.

Hasakah Fields Director Dhiab Khalif described the visit as successful, noting that while most fields are in good condition, some require maintenance. Upcoming steps include agreeing on production levels and boosting output to improve energy supply.

The Syrian Petroleum Company recently began pumping raw gas from the Jibseh fields in Hasakah to the Furqlus gas plant in Homs, part of efforts to increase national production and support electricity generation.

Arab World

Trump Opposes Israeli Annexation of West Bank

President Donald Trump waves to the media as he walks on the South Lawn upon his arrival to the White House, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
President Donald Trump waves to the media as he walks on the South Lawn upon his arrival to the White House, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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Trump Opposes Israeli Annexation of West Bank

President Donald Trump waves to the media as he walks on the South Lawn upon his arrival to the White House, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
President Donald Trump waves to the media as he walks on the South Lawn upon his arrival to the White House, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

A White House official on Monday reiterated US President Donald Trump's opposition toward Israel annexing the West Bank.

"A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration’s goal to achieve peace in the region," the official said.

Israel's security cabinet approved a series of steps on Sunday that would make it easier for settlers in the occupied West Bank to buy land while granting Israeli authorities more enforcement powers over Palestinians, Israeli media reported.

Saudi Arabia and seven other Muslim countries on Monday condemned new Israeli measures to tighten control of the West Bank and pave the way for more settlements on the occupied Palestinian territory.

The West Bank is among the territories that the Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Much of it is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in some areas run by the Palestinian Authority (PA).