Summer camps operated by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon are allegedly preparing children for what is described as "holy war," posing a significant threat to ongoing peace negotiations, according to a report.
The Imam al-Mahdi Scout camps, established in the mid-1980s and recognized by the Lebanese government in 1992, aim to indoctrinate Shiite youth with the teachings of Iran's supreme leader, adhering to the principle of Wilayat al Fiqih. Primarily funded by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the organization claims to have 75,000 registered male and female scouts.
While younger campers engage in typical summer activities like games and cooking, older members reportedly receive paramilitary training. According to the report, scouts who turn 16 are offered "literacy training" which includes instruction on weaponry, with teenagers receiving more intensive training throughout the summer. The camps instill values of "resistance" and "sacrifice" from an early age.
Reports indicate that former scouts have joined Hezbollah's ranks, with the group organizing ceremonies to honor members killed in action against Israel. Over 120 Mahdi Scouts were reportedly killed in combat through 2006, according to the group's own publications. The organization also produces age-appropriate magazines for its members, some of which feature content related to conflict and martyrdom.
In October 2025, the Mahdi Scouts organized a large commemoration for Hezbollah's former Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in September 2024. Hezbollah media claimed 74,000 scouts attended the event, described as potentially the largest Scout Jamboree ever, suggesting the group still has a strong recruitment base despite losses sustained in conflicts.
The report argues that this recruitment pipeline undermines efforts to disarm Hezbollah, a key focus of recent negotiations between Israel and Lebanon brokered by the Trump administration. The U.S. is reportedly working with the Lebanese government to reduce Iranian funding for Hezbollah.
To dismantle this "aspiring-martyr pipeline," the report suggests that the Lebanese government, alongside declaring Hezbollah's weapons illegal, should ban the Mahdi Scouts. It also calls for the group to be stripped of international legitimacy, noting its affiliation with the Lebanese Scouting Federation, a member of World Scouting.
Furthermore, the report recommends that the Trump administration consider sanctions against the Mahdi Scouts, potentially by designating it as a foreign terrorist organization or an entity undermining Lebanese sovereignty and stability. The report asserts that the group's allegiance to Iran's supreme leader and its ideological agenda threaten Lebanon's aspirations for full sovereignty, making it a target for U.S. policy aimed at promoting peace between Israel and Lebanon.