What is Hezbollah and how is it linked to the Israel-Gaza war? | Start Here
Summary
TLDRHezbollah, a Lebanese group rooted in Shia Islam, emerged in the 1980s amidst Lebanon's civil war and Iran's Islamic Revolution. It resists Israeli occupation and U.S. influence, with Iran's backing. Evolving from a militant group to a political party with parliamentary seats, it's become a powerful actor in Lebanon, providing social services and maintaining a large, undisclosed number of fighters. Its military strength and political influence have made it both a defender of Lebanon's Shia community and a contentious force within the nation's fractured political landscape.
Takeaways
- 🚩 Hezbollah is a Lebanese group with deep roots in politics and society, often more powerful and better armed than the Lebanese Army.
- 🏹 Classified as a terror group by some countries, Hezbollah sees itself as a resistance movement against US and Israeli policies.
- 🕋 The name 'Hezbollah' means 'Party of God', indicating its religious movement origins, though not all Shia Muslims in Lebanon support it.
- 🔗 Hezbollah is closely aligned with Iran, taking orders and being part of Iran's regional military structure, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC).
- 📈 The group's rise can be attributed to three main factors: the Shia factor in Lebanon's divided society, Iran's 1979 revolution, and Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon.
- 🔧 Hezbollah's tactics have included assassinations, hostage-taking, suicide attacks, and bombings, with a shift towards political power post-civil war.
- 🏛️ Since the 1990s, Hezbollah has evolved into a political party with seats in Lebanon's Parliament and ministers in the cabinet.
- 🛡️ Despite being a political entity, Hezbollah retains a strong military wing, which it claims is necessary to fight Israel.
- 🏙️ The group is seen by some as a 'state within a state', providing social services and having significant influence in Lebanon.
- 🌐 Hezbollah's activities extend beyond Lebanon, being part of Iran's 'axis of resistance', which includes groups in Iraq, Syria, Gaza, and Yemen.
Q & A
What does Hezbollah mean and what are its various identities?
-Hezbollah means 'party of God' in Arabic. It is a multifaceted organization that includes a religious movement, a political party with members in Lebanon's Parliament and ministers in the cabinet, and an armed group.
How is Hezbollah connected to Iran?
-Hezbollah is closely connected to Iran and is often characterized as part of Iran's armed forces, specifically the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It receives training, funding, and weapons from Iran and serves the interests of the IRGC's Quds Force.
What are the estimated numbers of Hezbollah fighters?
-Hezbollah claims to have 100,000 fighters, but the actual number is difficult to confirm. Experts suggest it could be between 20,000 and 50,000.
How did Hezbollah emerge and what factors contributed to its rise?
-Hezbollah emerged during the chaos of Lebanon's civil war in the 1980s. Factors contributing to its rise include the marginalization of the Shia community in Lebanon, Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, and Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon.
What was Hezbollah's initial stance and how has it evolved?
-Initially, Hezbollah defined itself as a resistance force against Israeli occupation. After the civil war, it evolved into a major power broker, establishing a political party and providing social services in areas it controls.
Why did Hezbollah keep its weapons after the end of the civil war?
-Hezbollah maintained its weapons, stating the need to fight Israel and protect its interests. It has been involved in several conflicts since, including the 2006 war with Israel.
What is Hezbollah's role in Lebanon's political landscape?
-Hezbollah is a powerful political actor in Lebanon, often described as a state within a state. It has ministers in the government and provides social services, but its armed status is seen as problematic by some who believe it uses its weapons for political gain.
How has Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian War impacted its standing?
-Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian War to support the Iranian ally, Bashar Al-Assad, has given its fighters combat experience but also alienated some supporters who felt it was not Hezbollah's role to get involved.
What is Hezbollah's current relationship with Israel?
-Hezbollah's relationship with Israel is tense and hostile. It has been involved in rocket attacks against Israel and has demanded that Israel end its war on Gaza.
What is Hezbollah's role in Iran's regional strategy?
-Hezbollah is a key part of Iran's regional strategy, known as the 'axis of resistance,' which includes various groups supported by Iran to spread its influence. Hezbollah fights as a proxy for Iran, including in the Syrian conflict.
What is the current situation between Hezbollah and Israel, and the potential for a wider conflict?
-The current situation is tense with exchanges of rocket fire and military actions. While a full-blown war is a possibility, both sides are cautious due to their capacity to inflict significant damage on each other.
Outlines
🔥 Hezbollah: Origins and Rise
The paragraph discusses Hezbollah, a Lebanese group that has been in the headlines due to rocket fire exchanges with Israel. It's a multifaceted organization with deep roots in Lebanese society, politics, and religion, primarily Shia Islam. Classified as a terror group by some, it's more powerfully armed than Lebanon's army. Hezbollah's name translates to 'Party of God', indicating its religious connotations, though not all Shia Muslims support it. It's politically influential with parliamentary seats and cabinet ministers. The group is secretive, with an unknown number of fighters, possibly between 20,000 to 50,000. Its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, a Shia cleric, has been leading for over 30 years. The paragraph explores Hezbollah's connection with Iran, suggesting it's part of Iran's military structure, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It delves into the factors behind Hezbollah's emergence: the Shia marginalization in Lebanon, Iran's 1979 revolution, and Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon.
🚩 Hezbollah's Evolution and Influence
This section narrates Hezbollah's evolution from a militia to a significant political force in Lebanon. It started as a resistance against Israeli occupation, with the aim of eradicating Israel. Over time, it transitioned into a political party, gaining parliamentary seats and becoming a voice for Lebanon's Shia community. Hezbollah also provides social services like health and education in areas under its control. Despite its political role, it retains a significant armed presence, which has been a point of contention in Lebanon. The paragraph also covers Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian war as part of Iran's regional military strategy and how this has bolstered its military capabilities and influence in the region.
🌐 Hezbollah's Regional Role and Current Conflicts
The final paragraph examines Hezbollah's role in Iran's 'axis of resistance', a network of groups that Iran supports to extend its influence. It discusses Hezbollah's participation in the Syrian war to support the Iranian ally, Bashar Al-Assad, which led to some internal dissent but also provided combat experience. The paragraph addresses the current conflict with Israel, sparked by events in Gaza, and the potential for a broader regional conflict. It highlights the cautious approach both sides are taking due to their mutual destructive capabilities, suggesting that while a full-scale war is possible, both Hezbollah and Israel are aware of the potential for significant damage.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Hezbollah
💡Iran
💡Lebanese Civil War
💡Israel
💡Shia
💡Militant Group
💡Resistance Movement
💡Political Party
💡Social Services
💡Axis of Resistance
Highlights
Hezbollah is a Lebanese group that has been in the headlines due to intense exchanges of rocket fire across the Israel-Lebanon border.
Some countries classify Hezbollah as a terror group, while it is deeply embedded in Lebanese politics and society.
Hezbollah is more powerful and better armed than the Lebanese Army itself.
The name Hezbollah means 'party of God' and it is a religious movement with members mainly from the Shia branch of Islam.
Hezbollah is also a political party with members in Lebanon's Parliament and ministers in the cabinet.
The group claims to have 100,000 fighters, but the actual number is likely between 20,000 and 50,000.
Hezbollah is secretive and its members can be found in various professions.
Hassan Nasrallah is the Shia cleric who has led Hezbollah for over 30 years.
Hezbollah is very close to Iran and takes orders from the country.
Experts characterize Hezbollah as essentially part of Iran's Armed Forces.
Hezbollah emerged during the chaos of Lebanon's civil war.
Iran's 1979 Revolution and the establishment of an Islamic Republic played a significant role in Hezbollah's rise.
Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982 was a turning point for Hezbollah's formation.
Hezbollah initially defined itself as a resistance force against Israeli occupation.
In the 1990s, Hezbollah evolved from a militia into a major power broker in Lebanon.
Hezbollah has been described as a state within a state, providing social services in areas they control.
Hezbollah's military strength is seen as both a cause and a symptom of deeper problems in Lebanon.
Hezbollah's activities and influence are not confined to Lebanon; it is part of Iran's axis of resistance.
Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian War gave it a reason to recruit and its fighters gained combat experience.
The current conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has reignited due to the war in Gaza.
Both Israel and Hezbollah are aware of each other's capacity to cause significant damage, which may be encouraging restraint.
Transcripts
let's talk about
[Applause]
Hezbollah it's the Lebanese group that's
back in the headlines there's been an
intense exchange of Rocket fire across
the Israel Lebanon border hisa fires
across the border every day Israel is
targeting what it says are Hezbollah
cells some countries classify Hezbollah
as a terror group but it's also deeply
embedded in Lebanese politics and
Society more powerful than the state
more armed than the Lebanese Army itself
hisbah is a militant movement it defines
itself as a resistance and pushing back
against us and Israeli policies it's
also very close to Iran they take orders
from Iran so how did Hezbollah come onto
the scene what exactly is its connection
to Iran and how powerful is the group
today the name Hezbollah means party of
God now that that might make it sound
like it's a religious group but it's
actually a lot of things it is a
religious movement and its members are
mainly from the Shia branch of Islam but
not all Shia Muslims in Lebanon support
Hezbollah it's also a political party
with members in lebanon's Parliament and
ministers in the cabinet and it's an
armed group they say they've got 100,000
Fighters but it's hard to know for sure
and some experts suggest it's lower
likely between 20 and 50,000 this is a
secretive organization even within you
know party members somebody working in a
what a bank a school could be a
Hezbollah fighter and you don't know
that and this is uh one of the strengths
of Hezbollah um they tend not to show
all their cards if you like this is a
group that does not have known military
bases Hassan NASA is the Shia cleric
who's LED Hezbollah for more than 30
years he's rarely seen in person but in
areas where support for Hezbollah is
strong like in the southern suburbs of
the capital Beirut and in the south of
Lebanon His Image is everywhere and you
also see posters of Iranian leaders
because the group does not hide its
links with
Iran some experts even characterize
Hezbollah as essentially part of Iran's
Armed Forces a branch called the Islamic
revolutionary guard Corp or irgc they
are part of Iran's Regional military
structure they have Lebanese IDs but
their loyalty and their job and their
mission is to serve the interests of the
irgc's CLS force close the kuds force is
the irgc branch that's mostly focused on
foreign
operations so how did Hezbollah come
about well there are three main factors
that help explain its rise the the first
is the Shia Factor Lebanon has always
been very divided along religious and
sectarian lines along with the Shia the
other main groups are Sunny Muslims and
Christians lebanon's political system
assigns them all key positions it's
designed so that they share power but in
practice it tends to exacerbate
divisions and the Shia have often felt
that they get the worst deal and are
neglected by the government in Beirut uh
the Shia Community has long felt
marginalized on the fringes of society
in the 1970s a political and armed
movement fighting for sheer rights had
cropped up other groups were vying for
power too including the PLO the
Palestinian group that had established
itself in southern Lebanon by 1975 they
all turned on each other and a civil war
broke out the Lebanese are fighting
among themselves Muslims against
Christians and left against
right the war lasted until 1990 and it
was in the chaos of all the fighting
that Hezbollah emerged and this brings
us to our second Factor Iran and the
1979 Revolution Iran's monarchy was
overthrown and replaced by an Islamic
Republic led by Shia cleric
Rahi the revolution established Iran as
the dominant Shia power in the
regioni um saw himself and saw the
revolution something that goes beyond
Beyond Iran he he saw this as more of a
pan-islamic revolution that goes even
beyond the Shia community so Iran wanted
to spread its ideology and influence and
everything going on in Lebanon provided
an opportunity for that especially after
1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon and
this is the third factor that explains
hezbollah's rise now Israel said it was
going after the PLO remember that's the
Palestinian group that was based in
southern Lebanon and it had been
attacking Israel from there tanks roll
into Southern Lebanon the Israelis said
they had one goal to root out once and
for all Palestinian bases across the
border from their Northern
settlements Israeli forces reached all
the way to Beirut later they withdrew to
Southern Lebanon and occupied an area
there right up until 2000 the Israel
they didn't just like kick the FES out
and leave they came they stayed they
occupied
and here's where our three factors all
converge in 1982 a group of Shia in
Lebanon who were already aligned with
Iran's revolutionary ideology had come
together to fight the Israeli forces
Iran capitalized on that providing
training funding and weapons and that
group adopted a name Hezbollah Iran
invested in an organic reality you had
Lebanese Shi who suffered Decades of um
marginalization from the Lebanese state
and also we're suffering from Israeli
occupation and when we're radicalized by
the events of
1982 and hence comes a um a movement uh
to uh build on all of that from the
beginning Hezbollah mainly defined
itself as a resistance force against the
Israeli occupation in 1985 they stated
that the obliteration of Israel from
existence was one of their ultimate aims
they also said they wanted to kick out
us and French troops who were in Lebanon
as part of peacekeeping Miss
their tactics included assassinations
hostage taking suicide attacks and some
high-profile bombings like one on the US
Embassy in Beirut that killed 63
people then in the early 1990s there was
a shift for Hezbollah lebanon's Civil
War had ended and the group started to
evolve from this shadowy militia into a
major power
broker
isbah set up a political party it won
its first seats in Parliament in 1992
and eventually became a leading voice
for lebanon's Shia Community Inc comes
this party this powerful and strong
party who tells them that you know we
will protect you from the others and we
will ensure that you have a say in
government that you have a say in the
decision- making process in this country
since 2005 Hezbollah had cab ministers
running various government departments
it's also been described as a state
within a state providing all sorts of
Social Services in the areas they
control things like health education and
youth
programs they even give you know these
cards to to some of their members to get
groceries at a discount but the main
thing that sets Hezbollah apart from
other Lebanese political factions is
that it has weapons a lot of them at the
end of the Civil War hasb kept its
weapons it said it needed them to fight
Israel and it did keep fighting first
they were focused on pushing Israel out
of Southern Lebanon and got a lot of
credit when Israel finally withdrew in
2000 since then fighting has repeatedly
flared up including a war in 2006 which
lasted 34
days a big part of hezbollah's appeal in
Lebanon is based on this perception that
it is the most effective Force to stand
up to Israel but having such a strong
armed group separate from the government
is also seen as problematic his
opponents in Lebanon believe that those
arms are being used for Hasa to advance
its political interests in the country
there are many who view it as a
problematic uh player on on the Lebanese
scene I would say a good half of of the
country would see it as such another way
of looking at it is that Hezbollah is
both a cause and a symptom of even
deeper problems in Lebanon a country
with a broken sectarian political system
that allows corruption to thrive and has
kept the economy in the gutter 80% of
people now live in
poverty every time you try to deal with
the corrupt political Elite you are
always hit by hezbollah's arms that it
is protecting them take the uh Beirut
Port explosion what
the
it was a dark day in lebanon's history
August 4 2020 2 years on there's still
been no accountability for one of the
biggest non-nuclear blasts in history
not one top official has been held to
account Hezbollah is also accused of
standing in the way of the investigation
into the explosion at the Bay
Port at one point this even spilled over
into deadly fighting on the streets of
Beirut when Hezbollah supporters
protested against the lead judge
investigating the
explosion but hezbollah's activities and
influence aren't just confined to
Lebanon it's the most powerful group in
what's known as Iran's axis of
resistance this is a network of groups
that Iran supports to spread its
influence and interest in the region it
includes militias in Iraq and Syria
Hamas in Gaza and the houthis in Yemen
but they're all part of the Iranian
Regional structure military structure
this is this is how Iran Works Iran
fights America and fights Israel be
proxies and partners this helps to
explain why Hezbollah took part in the
Syrian War for example Syria's president
Bashar Al Assad is an ally of Iran and
hasbullah fought as part of an Iranian
Alliance to keep him in power that move
alienated some of hezbollah's supporters
who felt it wasn't the group's job to
get involved but the war also gave
Hezbollah a reason to recruit and its
Fighters got combat experience uh
Hezbollah has also grown its Special
Forces capabilities given its role in
the conflict in Syria so today you're
looking at a group that's really strong
militarily it has a lot of weapons a
grip on Lebanon and Iran behind it right
now it's in the spotlight because of the
war in Gaza which has reignited the
fight between Hezbollah and Israel
Hezbollah has fired Rockets into Israel
killing soldiers and civilians it says
it won't stop until Israel ends its war
on Gaza and Israel's hit back firing
into Lebanon killing civilians along
with Hezbollah Fighters and at least two
senior
commanders tens of thousands of people
living on either side of the Border have
had to leave their homes many people are
questioning whether this could all turn
into a full-blown war and a wider
regional conflict it's always a
possibility but at the same time Israel
and Hezbollah both know that the other
one has the capacity to do huge damage
and that might be encouraging them to
hold back so both sides are still
treading carefully Hezbollah does not
want a full-blown war and it can hurt
Israel it can hit anywhere in Israel it
can fire thousands of rockets a day but
Israel too can hurt
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