As the Israeli military and the militant group Hezbollah exchange fire over the border separating southern Lebanon and northern Israel, there are fears the raging war between Israel and Hamas could ignite a wider regional conflict.
Below is a look at what’s going on, the background to the long-simmering tension between Israel and Hezbollah, and what the risks are for the region and the world.
Israel has openly admitted to carrying out the assassination of Hezbollah’s top military commander in southern Lebanon, as confirmed by Foreign Minister Israel Katz in a television interview. Additionally, several prominent figures within the group have been targeted and eliminated.
In the ongoing conflict since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, Hezbollah has been launching rockets almost daily, targeting Israeli positions, including military posts in northern Israel. In response, Israel has conducted strikes on locations in southern Lebanon, leading to the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents from border communities in both countries.
Lebanon as we know it today was established in 1920, adopting a sectarian system where recognized religious sects shared official government positions. the militant group Hezbollah
The inception of the militant group Hezbollah took place in 1982, emerging as a Shiite Muslim political and military entity backed by Iran and Syria in response to an Israeli invasion of Lebanon. While Hezbollah functions as a political party within the Lebanese government, it also operates independently, delivering services to its Shiite supporters and maintaining its own paramilitary force.
Hezbollah, despite not being officially recognized as a military force, claims to have approximately 100,000 fighters under the leadership of Hassan Nasrallah. It is widely considered to be a more substantial and well-equipped fighting force compared to Lebanon’s state military.
Similar to its smaller ally Hamas, Hezbollah has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States government for nearly two decades. Several of its leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah, are listed as global terrorists.