Due to the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East, radical Islamic groups have become more active, in particular the Lebanese terrorist Hezbollah. It periodically strikes northern Israel with rockets, mortars and explosive drones, prompting the country to respond with fire of its own. The situation escalated as much as possible after explosion of pagers in Lebanon, which happened on September 17. After that, the army of Israel inflicted massive attack on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
IA “FACT”, with reference to CNN, it was already reported that on the night of October 2, after the Iranian missile attack on Israel, the IDF forces carried out airstrikes on the facilities of the Hezbollah group in Beirut.
A new phase of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began due to several key events. After the end of active hostilities in the Gaza Strip, the conflict moved to Lebanon, where Hezbollah refuses to yield to Israel. Israel carried out airstrikes against hundreds of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, resulting in significant civilian casualties.
There is no smoke without fire
In a certain sense, world history is a series of politico-religious conflicts in which each side firmly believes in its rightness and legitimacy of its actions against the opponent. History has repeatedly proven that phenomena like Hezbollah, which takes the form of radicalism, extremism and terrorism, can have a very legitimate basis and sacred meaning for the followers of this movement.
In general, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has a long history, including a full-scale war in 2006, when Hezbollah carried out a cross-border raid that provoked an invasion by Israeli forces.
After Hamas launched a new war with Israel on October 7 last year, the Lebanese militia Hezbollah expressed its solidarity with the Islamist Palestinian group through military action. It shelled northern Israel almost daily with mortars, rockets and explosive drones, prompting Israel to fire back with its own fire. The fighting intensified at the end of September. Israeli forces killed longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an air strike on Beirut on September 27.
Why does the civilized world recognize Hezbollah as a terrorist organization
It is always interesting to learn about the trigger that at one time started a chain reaction in a long-term conflict, in which each of the warring parties considers itself the victim, and the opponent – the aggressor. Thus, Lebanese Shia Muslims formed what eventually became Hezbollah – “the party of God” – in 1982 in response to Israel’s occupation of the south of the country.
The movement was inspired by the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Shiite-majority Iran, and Hezbollah is supported and heavily influenced by Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. (Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims make up a third of Lebanon’s population.)
In general, Hezbollah’s ideology is based on Shia Islam and the principles laid down by Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. They consider themselves defenders of the Shia community and fighters for justice and independence of Lebanon. The main goal of Hezbollah is the fight against Israel and the liberation of the occupied territories of Lebanon. They seek the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.
Because Hezbollah is separate from the Lebanese military, it can attack targets without provoking the kind of reaction that such a move by the state would. However, Israel and Hezbollah have repeatedly fought battles, including a war in 2006. Like Hamas, Hezbollah is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and other civilized countries. The group is believed to have been behind a number of major attacks on US targets in the 1980s.
For data According to the US State Department, Iran provides Hezbollah with “the majority of its funding, training, weapons and explosives, as well as political, diplomatic, monetary and organizational assistance.” The department believes the group receives funding from legal and illegal sources, including smuggling, passport forgery, drug trafficking, money laundering, credit card, immigration and bank fraud. Hezbollah has previously said all its resources come from Iran and has repeatedly denied involvement in the drug trade. The “Party of God” has a powerful military arsenal, including missiles and drones, which poses a threat to regional stability, especially to Israel.
These factors, along with its radical ideology and active involvement in conflicts, have led the United States and other countries to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
Hezbollah is not only a military organization
There are also groups an influential political party, which has representatives in the parliament.
Hezbollah’s alliance with the Shia Amal movement ensures that together they represent the majority of the country’s Shia community. Hezbollah also has close ties to the Christian party. Before Syria’s civil war broke out in 2011, Hezbollah promoted itself as a force dedicated to fighting Israel and defending the oppressed, regardless of their origins. But after being drawn into the war in Syria, many Sunni Muslims see it as a Shiite group doing Iran’s bidding in the region.
In addition to war and politics, Hezbollah is also engaged in social and charitable activities, providing medicine, education and social support to the Shia community, which is facing its worst economic crisis in decades. Of course, this guarantees her some support among the population.
Consequently, many Shiites see Hezbollah as a protector of their community against external threats. Some support Hezbollah because of its ideology of resistance to Israel and the creation of an Islamic state. However, it is worth noting that support for Hezbollah is not unanimous. A large part of the Lebanese population criticizes the organization for its military actions and influence on the country’s politics.
The role of Lebanon in regional events in the Middle East
Lebanon is located at the crossroads between the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East, which makes it strategically important for many countries. The country is home to various political and military groups, Hezbollah being one of them. Conflicts between Hezbollah and Israel often affect the stability of the entire region.
Lebanon is often in the spotlight due to humanitarian crises related to refugees and internal conflicts. It attracts international aid and influences politics in the region.
Hezbollah vs. Hamas: Who Has More Resources?
Hezbollah has become a kind of powerful militia in the Middle East and the most important ally of Iran. Its leaders support an Iranian network of militant groups that includes the Yemeni Houthi rebels. Hezbollah’s fighting force is larger, better armed and more battle-tested than Hamas, which is also backed by Iran. Hezbollah claims to have 100,000 fighters. The Israeli military estimates they have 20,000 to 25,000 full-time soldiers and tens of thousands of reservists. In contrast, Hamas had about 30,000 fighters in the Gaza Strip before the war; Israel claims it has killed about 15,000 militants in the current fighting.
According to Israeli intelligence, Hezbollah’s arsenal contains more than 70,000 rockets, including long-range and precision missiles. The Israelis estimate that before the current war, Hamas and other militant groups in the Gaza Strip had about 10,000 short- and medium-range rockets. Hezbollah fighters gained significant combat experience during the Syrian civil war, when they fought alongside Iranian and Russian forces to help Syrian President Bashar al-Assad defeat the rebels. This was important to Hezbollah because Syria under Assad served as a route for the militias to obtain military equipment from Iran, which does not share a border with Lebanon.
The roots of the emergence of such phenomena as Hezbollah
The formation of such organizations as Hezbollah has deep political, socio-economic, religious and cultural roots. In Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based, there has been a long period of political instability and a weak central government. This created a power vacuum that was filled by various militia groups.
In addition, Iran plays a significant role in supporting Hezbollah, using it as a tool to expand its influence in the region.
It is worth remembering that poverty often contributes to the radicalization of the population. Youth unemployment creates favorable conditions for recruiting new gang members. As noted above, Hezbollah socially cares for the needy, which makes it attractive to ordinary citizens.
The preservation of cultural and religious identity also contributes to the existence of an organization that seeks to protect its interests. Hezbollah as a Shia organization receives support from Shia communities.
Adepts of the “Party of God” use religious ideas and extremist jihad ideology, historical conflicts and images to justify violent actions. Yes, the irreconcilable struggle with Israel is one of the most trending elements of Hezbollah’s ideology, around which so many fanatics have gathered.
…Unfortunately, history knows many precedents when an entire state is forced to rally around a crazy fix idea of a handful of fanatics…
Tatyana Morarash
