A file photo of a Hizbullah parade.

BINT JBEIL, Lebanon — They were leading a normal and peaceful life with their families but as soon as they heard of the Israeli onslaught on their homeland, they were quick to join the Lebanese resistance to fight the Israeli occupation forces.

"I left my wife and son behind to take up arms to defend my homeland and dignity," a Hizbullah fighter, who identified himself as Haidar, told IslamOnline.net in the Lebanese bastion of resistance Bint Jbeil Friday, August 18.

"Hizbullah has given a lesson to the whole world that our honor is not for sale and we are ready to sacrifice everything to defend it," added the father of a computer science student.

His fellow fighter, Abu Dhar, said he was also ready to sacrifice himself and his family to defend Lebanon against the Israeli onslaughts.

"I have dedicated myself to defend our honor and dignity," Abu Dhar, a father of four, told IOL.

His youngest son was born on July 12, the first day of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon.

However, Abu Dhar did not think twice and answered the duty.

"It is meaningless to live while your rights are being usurped," he said.

Israel launched its wide-scale offensive on the claim of seeking the release of two soldiers taken prisoner by Hizbullah in a cross-border operation to exchange with Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails.

Up to 1,200 Lebanese civilians have been killed, a third of whom were children, and around one million people displaced by Israeli bombardments that also destroyed thousands of homes, dozens of bridges and hundreds of kilometers of roads.

Steadfastness

The two fighters were holed up in a position in the Bint Jbeil town as the Israeli planes flew overhead while pounding the southern Lebanese villages to make a space for Israeli commando operations against the resistance fighters.

But the Israeli tactics always hit a dead end due to steadfastness of the Lebanese resistance fighters.

"They (Israelis) sought to terrify us by pounding the southern villages," Haider said.

"But once their troops are on the battle ground, their true nature is revealed. Once we meet them face to face, they run in panic and implore air support," he said.

Haidar said he joined the Lebanese resistance in 1996 when he was still a student.

"I was brought up in the occupied south Lebanon where we were evacuated by Israel," he said.

"The Israelis used to kill our families and kill our brothers in the south and used the proxy southern Lebanese army (SLA) to horribly torture us," he added.

"These Israeli practices left us with no option but to join the resistance."

Abu Dhar, who joined Hizbullah in 1989, vowed to train his son to defend Lebanon against the Israeli onslaughts.

"He will follow in the footsteps of his father, no doubt," he said confidently.

"They (Israelis) are cowards as they killed children and women and destroyed every house in the area."

Sophisticated

Abu Dhar said the tactics of the Lebanese resistance have become more sophisticated.

""In the past, we used to monitor and compile information about the enemy, but now, we have succeeded to penetrate the enemy," he said.

"Now, we are able to know everything about the enemy."

He said Hizbullah, the political wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement, fully covers the finances of the resistance.

"The party is regularly paying salaries to the mujahdeen (fighters)," said Abu Dhar, but he stressed that money was not a priority for the resistance fighters.

"We are only preoccupied with martyrdom," he said.

At least 123 Israeli soldiers were killed and thousands others wounded in fierce battles with well-trained Hizbullah fighters.

Hizbullah also shot down at least four Apache helicopters and destroyed one warship, a fast-speed patrol in addition to around 124 of Israel's pride Merkava tanks, each costing 4.4 million dollars.

At least twelve armored vehicle and personnel carriers were also damaged during the war, according to a tally prepared by IslamOnline.net based on Israeli media and official reports.