They threaten Israel almost daily and represent the Hezbollah terrorist group, but within Lebanon's political system, they are considered legitimate lawmakers. They are members of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, known as the "Loyalty to the Resistance" bloc, which promotes the group's ideology through political channels at a time when its military and security activities are restricted.
The bloc consists of 15 members. Its chairman is Mohammed Raad, who on Thursday, following the signing of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, warned that Israel had two months to complete its withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
Ya-Allah: Hezbollah's representatives in the Lebanese parliament
(Video: Alex Burtman)
"I draw the authorities' attention to the fact that the deadline for the enemy's complete withdrawal from Lebanese territory is two months from now," Raad said. "During this period, the enemy must halt operations on land, at sea and in the air, and prepare to begin its withdrawal within 60 days, without any need for direct negotiations."
Some Arab media outlets, led by Saudi-owned Al-Hadath, have described Raad as the deputy to Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem, though no official announcement has been made.
In February, the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Raad was expected to assume the position, but that the appointment would not be announced until after Lebanon's parliamentary elections, which were postponed in May until next year. The report also said Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah was expected to replace Raad as head of the parliamentary bloc.
Hezbollah denied similar reports published at the end of 2024, saying that "if the leadership decides to appoint officials, the names will be announced through Hezbollah's official media outlets."
According to Hezbollah's parliamentary website, Raad was born in Beirut in 1955 and comes from the village of Jbaa in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region of southern Lebanon. He was among Hezbollah's earliest members and has held various positions within the organization. He has headed the parliamentary bloc since 2000 and regularly publishes articles in Al-Akhbar, a newspaper aligned with Hezbollah.
Raad is married and has five children. Although he survived the war, his son, Abbas Mohammed Raad, a Hezbollah operative, was killed alongside four other members of the group in November 2023 during an Israeli strike on a house in the southern Lebanese village of Beit Yahoun in the early months of the war.
Naim Qassem, then deputy to slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, attended Abbas Raad's funeral and delivered a eulogy.
Days after his son's death, Mohammed Raad told Al-Mayadeen television: "My son admired Qasem Soleimani," referring to the Iranian Quds Force commander killed in a U.S. strike in 2020.
"We learn from Sayyed (Nasrallah) how parents should remain steadfast and committed to the resistance," Raad said. "My son did not tell me details about his work."
Among Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc members are several particularly prominent figures who regularly appear in media interviews and echo the group's messaging, including Hassan Fadlallah.
In an interview published Thursday by Lebanon's Al Mayadeen television, Fadlallah said of the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding: "The memorandum is a real victory for Iran, and anyone who denies this fact does not see reality."
Fadlallah was born in 1967 and is originally from the southern Lebanese village of Aitaroun in the Bint Jbeil district. He is married and has three children: Mohammad, Youssef and Aya.
According to Hezbollah's parliamentary website, Fadlallah studied communications and represented the group while still a university student. He began working in media in 1987 and held senior positions in several Hezbollah-affiliated outlets. He helped establish Hezbollah's Al-Nour radio station in 1988, served for seven years as its news director and later as the station's general manager. He also headed the news department at Al Manar television and served as editor-in-chief of Al-Ahd newspaper, which is affiliated with Hezbollah.
Fadlallah was also a member of Hezbollah's political council. He holds a doctorate in education and has written several books on politics, history and education, as well as dozens of articles and research papers.
Another member of the bloc is Hussein Hajj Hassan, who said last Monday: "We and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri received notification that the Israeli withdrawal is included in the agreement. If the Israeli army does not withdraw, we will discuss it then, and we will not recognize any lines."
In recent weeks, Hajj Hassan has also spoken out against direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
Born in 1960 in the eastern Lebanese village of Nabi Chit, Hajj Hassan is married and has four children. According to reports, two of his brothers, Ahmad and Mohammad, were killed months apart in 1988 while serving in the "Islamic Resistance" in Lebanon, Hezbollah's military wing.
He holds a doctorate in chemistry and physics from the University of Orléans in France and was previously involved in Islamic outreach activities among French and Arab communities in France. He joined Hezbollah upon its establishment and held several positions within the organization. In Lebanese politics, he previously served as agriculture minister and industry minister.
Another member is Ibrahim Mousawi, who was born in 1965 and also hails from Nabi Chit. He earned a doctorate in political Islam studies from the University of Birmingham in Britain in 2007. He received his bachelor's degree in English literature and journalism from the Lebanese University and a master's degree in political science from the American University of Beirut.
Mousawi speaks English, French, Italian and Persian. He worked in several positions at Al Manar television and was appointed to Hezbollah's political council in 2009.
Bloc member Ihab Hamadeh was born in 1973 and comes from the Al-Hara neighborhood of Hermel in eastern Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. He is married and has children.
Hamadeh earned a master's degree in human resources from Imam Sadiq University in Iran and received a doctorate in Arabic language and literature from the Lebanese University in 2014. He has also published several collections of poetry.
He was elected to represent the Baalbek-Hermel district in the Lebanese parliament in 2018 and again in 2022. Over the weekend, he said: "The state cannot restrain Israel after deciding to abandon force."
Other lawmakers belonging to the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc include Amin Sherri, Hassan Ezzeddine, Raed Berro, Rami Abu Hamdan, Ali Ammar, Ali al-Mokdad, Hussein Jashi and Ali Fayyad.
On June 10, Fayyad declared: "Supporters of the resistance in Dahieh are united with supporters of the other resistance arenas. The resistance environment has not grown weary despite the heavy price that has been paid. Iran's entry to defend Hezbollah and Dahieh was evidence of the unity and integration of the resistance arenas."