Weapons, terrorist infrastructure, and children's books: IDF findings in Lebanon
"Reading books is what remains with a person for life," reads a postcard from a Hezbollah publishing house discovered by IDF forces. The terrorist organization's youth movement instills hatred for Israel and the USA from a young age, while promoting the Iranian leadership.
IDF forces patrolling villages and towns in southern Lebanon under their operational control are uncovering weapons and terrorist infrastructure, as well as the activities of the "Mahdi" publishing house, which operates under the "Imam al-Mahdi Scouts" — a youth movement within Hezbollah.
During a patrol, soldiers found a postcard produced by the "Mahdi" publishing house, which states: "What remains with a person for life is reading books at a young age; reading should enter people's lives like food, sleep, and other daily matters." On the back of the high-quality postcard is a picture of the former Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, who was eliminated during the opening strike of Operation "Roar of the Lion."
This official youth movement was established by the terrorist organization to serve as an educational and social arm for shaping the next generation of Hezbollah. It includes tens of thousands of children and teenagers, primarily in Shiite strongholds in southern Lebanon, the Beqaa Valley, the Dahiyeh quarter, and Beirut.
"The Imam al-Mahdi Scouts combine ideological indoctrination and militarism, cultivating a culture of resistance to Israel and the USA to the point of hatred from a very young age," expert sources note.
The "Mahdi" publishing house serves as a broad infrastructure for spreading hatred, producing newspapers, the "Mahdi" magazine, and leaflets that present Hezbollah fighters as heroes and Israel as an enemy to be fought through terrorism, including sacrifice unto death: "Shahada." Hezbollah also incorporates messages surrounding the Iranian leadership, led by Ali Khamenei, and maintains a cult of glorification around him. For years, Hezbollah has brainwashed the younger generation regarding the respect due to senior Iranian regime officials. In practice, the scout movement acts as a tool for early recruitment, with the most prominent activists moving into the organization's combat units or maintaining a commitment to violent resistance.
