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What is Hezbollah and why is Israel attacking Lebanon? What is Hezbollah and why has it been fighting Israel in Lebanon?
(2 months later)
The Israeli military says its troops have entered Lebanon for what it calls a "limited, localised and targeted" ground operation against the armed group Hezbollah. Hezbollah is a Shia Muslim political and military group in Lebanon which has been involved in a series of violent conflicts with Israel.
Lebanese officials say more than 1,000 people have been killed following Israeli air strikes over the past two weeks. Hezbollah has responded by firing hundreds of rockets into northern Israel. It has strong backing from Iran and opposes Israel's right to exist. The group is considered a terrorist organisation by Israel and many other nations, including the UK and US.
What is Hezbollah and has it fought Israel before? The latest Hezbollah-Israel conflict erupted in October 2023, when Hezbollah began firing rockets over the frontier after the start of the Gaza war, in solidarity with its ally Hamas. Israel responded with strikes.
Hezbollah is an influential Shia Muslim political party and armed group. The conflict escalated further in September 2024, when Israel said it wanted tens of thousands of people forced from their homes by Hezbollah rocket attacks to be able to safely return. It began a campaign of wide-ranging air strikes against Hezbollah, followed by a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.
It has a significant presence in both the Lebanese parliament and government, and controls the most powerful armed force in the country. The conflict has left Hezbollah severely weakened.
Hezbollah rose to prominence in the 1980s in opposition to Israel, whose forces had occupied southern Lebanon during the country's 1975-1990 civil war. The offensive killed around 4,000 people in Lebanon, including many civilians. More than a million people have been displaced in Lebanon since 8 October 2023.
It has received strong backing from Iran, both financially and militarily, for many years. It is also a strong ally of the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Israel says 45 Israeli civilians and 75 soldiers were killed in the conflict to November 2024, external.
Hezbollah's armed wing has carried out deadly attacks on Israeli and US forces in Lebanon. A ceasefire agreement announced on 27 November requires both Hezbollah and Israeli forces to leave southern Lebanon. The initial deadline of 26 January was extended until 18 February.
When Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon in 2000, Hezbollah took credit for pushing them out and continues to oppose Israel's presence in disputed border areas. Israel seeks another extension for Lebanon withdrawal, source says
In 2006, a full-blown war broke out between Hezbollah and Israel, triggered by a deadly cross-border raid by Hezbollah. What we know about Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal
Israeli troops invaded southern Lebanon to try to eliminate the threat from Hezbollah. About 1,000 civilians were killed during the conflict, but Hezbollah claimed victory and has since increased its number of fighters and upgraded its weapons. What is Hezbollah and what are its aims?
The group is designated as a terrorist organisation by Western states, Israel and Gulf Arab states. Hezbollah emerged out of Shia militias formed to resist Israel after its invasion of southern Lebanon in 1982, during Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war.
How much political support does Hezbollah have? Its name means "Party of God" in Arabic.
Hezbollah has participated in Lebanon's national elections since 1992 and has become a major political power. Officially announcing its existence in 1985, Hezbollah called for an Islamic government in Lebanon. It declared that its confrontation with Israel "should only end when it has been removed from existence".
The group and its allies lost their majority in parliament in the 2022 election, but a new government has not been formed since then and it continues to have ministers in the caretaker administration. The group's attacks on Israeli forces are widely considered in Lebanon to have been instrumental in Israel's decision to end its 18-year-long occupation in 2000. The date Israeli forces left is a public holiday in Lebanon, called Resistance and Liberation Day.
Lebanon is deeply divided over Hezbollah. While the group enjoys substantial popular support, many opponents accuse it of involvement in political corruption and oppose its military capabilities, viewing them as a significant factor in the country's conflicts. Afterwards, Hezbollah resisted pressure to disarm and maintained a significant military presence in the south of Lebanon.
As a powerful political entity, Hezbollah also operates schools, hospitals, cultural institutions and charities across Lebanon. The group, and the Lebanese government, refused to accept the UN's finding that the Israeli withdrawal was complete, saying disputed border areas were still occupied. Sporadic exchanges of fire with Israeli forces continued.
Bowen: West left powerless as Israel claims its biggest victory yet against Hezbollah In July 2006, Hezbollah fighters launched a deadly cross-border attack, triggering a massive Israeli response. More than 1,125 Lebanese, most of them civilians, died during the 34-day war, as well as 119 Israeli soldiers and 45 civilians.
'I grabbed my grandchildren and ran': Lebanon families flee Israeli strikes The next month, the UN Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1701, external, which ended the war and created a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon. The current ceasefire deal also uses this agreement as its basis.
How strong are Hezbollah's forces? It demanded that non-state armed groups in Lebanon disarm and pull back about 30km (19 miles) north of the Blue Line, the unofficial border between Lebanon and Israel, in line with the Litani River.
Hezbollah has thousands of fighters and a huge missile arsenal in southern Lebanon. It said this area "should be free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Lebanese authorities and UN peacekeepers".
It is one of the most heavily armed non-state military forces in the world. It is funded and equipped by Iran. However, Hezbollah, which had declared victory, did not comply and went on to build extensive infrastructure in the area.
The organisation has claimed it has 100,000 fighters, although independent estimates put the number between 20,000 and 50,000. Lebanon says Israel's violations of the resolution have included military flights over its territory.
Many are well-trained and battle-hardened, and have fought in the Syrian civil war. Hezbollah also continued to upgrade and expand its arsenal. With Iranian funding, training and weapons, its forces became stronger than those of the Lebanese army.
Hezbollah has an estimated 120,000-200,000 rockets and missiles, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, external. In 2009, the group issued a new political manifesto in which it dropped the reference to an Islamic government but rejected "any compromise with Israel or recognising its legitimacy".
Most of its arsenal is made up of small, unguided, surface-to-surface artillery rockets. Its fighters also became battle-hardened in neighbouring Syria's civil war. By 2013, they were helping then-President Bashar al-Assad's government turn the tide against rebel and jihadist forces.
But it also thought to have anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles, as well as guided missiles capable of striking deep inside Israel. Hezbollah has also been accused of carrying out a string of bombings and plots against Jewish and Israeli targets outside Lebanon.
It has much more sophisticated weapons at its disposal than Hamas does in Gaza. Who are Hezbollah's leaders?
What is happening in Israel and Gaza, and what is Hamas? Hassan Nasrallah was a Shia cleric who led Hezbollah from 1992 until his death in 2024
The Israel-Palestinian conflict Many of Hezbollah's most senior military and political leaders were killed during the latest conflict with Israel.
Hezbollah was led by Hassan Nasrallah, a Shia cleric, from 1992 until his death in an Israeli air strike in September 2024. Nasrallah had played a key role in turning Hezbollah into a political force, as well as a military one.
He was revered by Hezbollah supporters and had close links with Iran and its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Despite being one of the best known and most influential figures in the Middle East, Nasrallah had not been seen in public for many years, to avoid being targeted by Israel.
Who was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah?Who was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah?
Hassan Nasrallah is a Shia cleric who has led Hezbollah since 1992 Following his death, Hezbollah announced in late October that its deputy secretary general Naim Qassem would become its new leader.
Hezbollah had been led since 1992 by Hassan Nasrallah, a Shia cleric. Other senior figures killed in Israeli attacks include cleric Hashem Safieddine, who had been expected to replace Nasrallah.
On 28 September, Israel said it had killed Nasrallah in an air strike on Beirut. Hezbollah later confirmed the death of the 64-year-old. How strong are Hezbollah's forces?
Nasrallah had played a key role in turning Hezbollah into a political force, as well as a military one. Hezbollah's current military strength is difficult to assess as it has suffered heavy losses.
He had close links with Iran and its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Before the ceasefire was announced in November, much of its infrastructure was destroyed, its weapons arsenal was depleted and hundreds of fighters killed.
It is unclear who will lead Hezbollah in future. Battered but defiant - what will happen to Hezbollah's weapons?
Who was Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah? The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in Syria is also seen as a significant blow to Hezbollah. Syria, under Assad, played an important role in Hezbollah's connections to Iran and it was a key staging post for the transfer of weapons and ammunition to the group.
Hezbollah leader says exploding device attacks crossed 'all red lines' Previously, Hezbollah had been considered one of the most heavily armed, non-state military forces in the world.
How has the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel escalated? In 2021, the group claimed to have 100,000 fighters, although independent estimates put the number between 20,000 and 50,000.
Israel has gone on the offensive after almost a year of cross-border hostilities sparked by the war in Gaza. Before the conflict with Israel escalated, it was estimated to have 120,000-200,000 rockets and missiles, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, external think tank.
Previously sporadic fighting escalated on 8 October 2023, the day after the unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen. Most of this arsenal was made up of small, unguided, surface-to-surface artillery rockets. It was also thought to have anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles, as well as guided missiles capable of striking deep inside Israel.
Hezbollah has since launched more than 8,000 rockets at northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It has also fired anti-tank missiles at armoured vehicles and attacked military targets with explosive drones. How much support does Hezbollah have in Lebanon?
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) retaliated with air strikes and tank and artillery fire against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. The war with Israel has also led to a political shift in Lebanon.
What to know about the Israel-Hezbollah conflict A new president, Joseph Aoun, was appointed in January 2025, after the country spent more than two years without one.
What might Hezbollah, Israel and Iran do next? Aoun was the head of Lebanon's army and he was selected despite Hezbollah preferring another candidate. He has pledged to work to ensure that the Lebanese state has "the exclusive right to bear arms" - a direct reference to Hezbollah.
On 17 September, Israel it wanted to ensure the safe return of residents of border areas who have been displaced by Hezbollah attacks. In addition, a post-war cabinet named by the new prime minister, Nawaf Salam, excludes Hezbollah. However, it is split evenly among Lebanon's religious groups and Hezbollah's ally, Amal, was allowed to choose four ministers.
It killed more than a dozen top Hezbollah commanders and apparently destroyed thousands of weapons in air strikes. New US Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus has warned that the Trump administration has "clear red lines" that Hezbollah will not be tolerated as a part of the government.
It was also blamed for the exploding pager and walkie-talkie attacks that left thousands of Hezbollah members maimed, blinded or killed. Army chief elected Lebanon's president after years of deadlock
Although Hezbollah has been weakened, it has continued to fire barrages of rockets into northern Israel and is still believed to possess a formidable arsenal of long-range missiles. Before the war, Hezbollah - along with other political groups - was already constrained by Lebanon's many problems, including one of the world's worst economic crises and political corruption. No group ran the country and there had been no functioning government since elections in 2022.
However, although the country was deeply divided over Hezbollah, it had considerable influence, with a seat in every previous cabinet formed since 2005 and a network of social services including schools and healthcare facilities.
It also enjoyed substantial popular support from those who saw it as a resistance force against Israel.
In a country where religious identity strongly impacts people's politics, many of Hezbollah's supporters have traditionally been Shia Muslims, while many of its critics and opponents are non-Shia.