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Unit 133 is a secret unit within Hezbollah with an aim to oversee the group's foreign operations and execute terror attacks in Israel, in the West Bank, in Egypt and Jordan. [1]
According to sources Unit 133 was created in the late 1990s, early 2000, by Imad Mughniyeh, with purpose to provide military, media and intellectual support to the Palestinian intifada. [2] [3] In the early 2000s, Unit 133 mainly provided support by sending funds, weapons, and training fighters in the West Bank and Gaza. [4] It worked secretly, helping to build terror cells and smuggle supplies. However, the unit didn’t achieve many of its goals, which caused frustration among Hezbollah’s leaders. In 2014 IRGC Commander Hossein Salami was to turn the West Bank into a zone of sustained instability for Israel. [5] Iran delegated this mission to Hezbollah, with Unit 133 operating under the influence of Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah’s son, Jawad—tasked with recruiting and funding militant cells in the region. Israeli intelligence sources report a sharp rise in Hezbollah’s weapons smuggling into Israel and the West Bank. By 2021, Hezbollah decided to improve the unit by putting a senior commander named Harb, who had led Unit 1800, in charge. After this change, Unit 133 started using more modern tools, like the internet and Social Media to recruit and guide new members. [6] This was a big shift from its earlier methods, combining in-person and online efforts. Since 2021, this shift could be seen in the surge in West Bank violence beginning that June, even reaching historically quiet cities like Jericho. [7]
Working withcrime families:
Unit 133 teams up with crime families in southern Lebanon who have experience smuggling drugs and weapons. These families help move weapons and supplies into Israel and act as middlemen, connecting Hezbollah with criminals inside the country. [4]
Usinghuman intelligence (HUMINT):
The unit depends a lot on people to gather information, in some cases collaborating with units such as: Golan Unit, unit 4400 and Unit 108 that find and recruit new members quickly, usually by offering money instead of relying on shared beliefs or religion. This lets them recruit people who aren’t Shia Muslims. [8]
Smugglingactivities:
Unit 133 has been involved in several smuggling attempts. For example, in 2012, they tried to move a 20-kilogram bomb across the Lebanon-Israel border. In 2021, Israeli forces stopped them near the village of Ghajar, where they were trying to smuggle 43 guns. [4]
Buildingterror networks:
The unit works on creating terror groups by recruiting Palestinians and Israeli Arabs. It gives them money and weapons to carry out attacks, including suicide bombings and spying missions. [3] [9]
Mouhamad Ataya was a senior operative in unit 1800 in its old form, later head of Hezbollah’s Unit 133, responsible for operations inside Israel, including the Palestinian Territories. [13]
Hajj Khalil Harb, AKA Sayyid Ahmad and Abu Mustafa, is a senior Hezbollah operative who formerly commanded Unit 1800. In response to growing dissatisfaction with Unit 133’s effectiveness, he was brought to lead the unit around 2021. He served as the Hezbollah’s chief military liaison to Iranian and Palestinian terrorist organizations. Harb has commanded and supervised Hezbollah’s military operations in the Palestinian Territories and several countries throughout the Middle East. Since 2012, Harb has been involved in the movement of large amounts of currency to Hezbollah’s political allies in Yemen. [14] Harb's deep-rooted ties with southern Lebanese crime networks and his extensive experience in establishing covert terror cells positioned him as a pivotal figure in the effort to reenergize and restructure Unit 133’s operational capabilities. [15] [1]
On August 22, 2013, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Harb as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. This designation blocks all of Harb's property and interests in property under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with him. Additionally, it is a federal crime to knowingly provide material support or resources to Hezbollah. [14] [15]
Ali Mahmoud Nasrallah is a senior Hizballah operative, formerly part of Unit 133 and now likely serving in the restructured Unit 1800 under Mohammad Ataya. He is involved in efforts to launch terror attacks against Israel from surrounding “ring” countries, recruit operatives, and smuggle drugs and weapons to Arab Israeli crime families—aimed at undermining Israeli society and financing Hezbollah's activities. [16]
Jawad Nasrallah, the second eldest son of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, is a prominent public figure in pro-Hezbollah circles and has been designated by the U.S. as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Known for his poetry and online presence, he allegedly used his social media reach to recruit operatives in the West Bank, including Muhammad Zaghloul, leader of a five-man cell planning attacks against Israel. Despite skepticism among Hezbollah supporters about his operational role, Israeli intelligence asserts Jawad collaborated with Unit 133 to fund and guide terrorist activities. He remains active in Lebanon, benefiting from Hezbollah’s resources and protection. [5]
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