Hezbollah Uses Child Scouts for Jihadi Missions, Report Says, Glorifying Deaths Since the 1980s
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 19
Hezbollah Uses Child Scouts for Jihadi Missions, Report Says, Glorifying Deaths Since the 1980s
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 19
Lebanon’s MTV network reported that Hezbollah sends children from its Mahdi Scouts on jihadi missions that can end in their deaths, then stages hero funerals and public praise to spur more recruitment.
The report, translated by MEMRI, said the group has used child soldiers since the 1980s and uses scout activities to build loyalty to Iran-backed martyrdom ideology rather than the Lebanese state.
Experts including Matthew Levitt, Walid Phares and Sarit Zehavi said Hezbollah’s youth radicalization is long documented, with children allegedly used for spying, carrying ammunition and preparing for future combat roles.
The allegations surfaced as U.S.-brokered Israel-Lebanon talks continue, adding pressure for Lebanon and its partners to curb Hezbollah-linked civilian networks and replace them with state-run services.
Is Hezbollah using child soldiers as a desperate tactic or a strategy for a new generation?
With its own army planning disarmament, is Lebanon on the brink of another devastating civil war?
Could Iran's threat to undersea internet cables, not oil, spark the next major global crisis?
From Scouts to Soldiers: Hezbollah’s Ongoing Child Indoctrination and Recruitment Strategy in 2026
Overview
Hezbollah’s Imam al-Mahdi Scouts youth movement is a central part of the group’s long-term strategy, targeting Shiite children and beginning indoctrination into loyalty to Iran’s Supreme Leader from a very young age. This systematic approach is deeply woven into Hezbollah’s educational and scouting systems, instilling values that go beyond Lebanese national identity and instead glorify the Iranian model. By shaping children’s beliefs early, Hezbollah creates a transnational project that ensures its own continuity, fosters unwavering loyalty, and prepares future generations to support its ideology and operations both in Lebanon and beyond.