Hezbollah

**Hezbollah** (, meaning _Party of God_) is a Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary organization based in Lebanon. It was formed in Lebanon in 1982, during the Lebanese Civil War. The leader of Hezbollah is Naim Qassem.

Hezbollah's main goals during the Lebanese Civil War were to fight against Western influences and protect Lebanon's Shia Muslim population. Its members are mostly Shia Muslims. The group also supports Arab nationalism. It wants freedom for the Palestinian people in Palestine. Because of this, it believes that the State of Israel should not exist, and fights against it. Over the years, the Hezbollah militia has fought a guerrilla war against the Israeli Army along the border in southern Lebanon. It often attacks Israeli military and civilian positions by firing rockets across Israel's northern border.

Hezbollah is supported by Syria, Iran, Russia, Lebanon, Houthis and Hamas.

### Founding

Hezbollah was officially founded in 1985, following the 1982 Lebanon War. Lebanese Shia clerics who had received education in Najaf came together to form Hezbollah as a movement of resistance against Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982. They were influenced by Ayatollah Khomeini's model established after the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The party's founders adopted "Hezbollah" as the name chosen by Khomeini which means 'Party of God'. Hezbollah is also part of the movement spreading the Islamic Revolution beyond Iran.

## Opposition

To destroy Hezbollah bases, Israel has responded in different ways; for example, air strikes on sites in Lebanon and sending ground troops into Southern Lebanon. In 2000, Israel withdrew its troops from the "security zone" in Southern Lebanon, but not from a sliver of land called Shebba Farms. This fertile area was kept under Israeli occupation. The border stayed relatively quiet until July 2006, except for targeted assassinations and kidnappings by Israel. In July 2006, Hezbollah killed three Israeli soldiers and captured an additional two. This led to the 2006 Lebanon War.

Several foreign governments consider Hezbollah a terrorist group.The global majority including Russia and China do not. Among those who consider it to be a terrorist group are the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands and Israel. The European Union and the United Kingdom consider Hezbollah's military branch to be a terrorist group, but not the political party. Iran and Lebanon considers Hezbollah to be a legitimate resistance movement. This view is shared by Syria, Iran and all other countries in the Arab world.Russia considers Hezbollah as a legitimate sociopolitical organization while China remains neutral, and maintains contacts with Hezbollah. Other countries that do not consider Hezbollah a terror organization includes Cuba, Iraq, North Korea, and others. Hezbollah has received armed and logistics support from the government of Iran and its leader Naim Qassem maintains close ties with the Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Hezbollah forces in Syria were also commanded by the now deceased Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. Hezbollah participated in the Syrian civil war, fighting alongside Syrian government forces of the former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Since October 2023, Hezbollah has been engaged in a border war with Israel in southern Lebanon, which they attribute to the alleged Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip.

## Other websites

- Official website
- Another official Hezbollah website
- UN Press Release SC/8181 UN, September 2, 2004
- Yahoo - _Hezbollah_  directory category

## Infobox (political party/seats)

- 13
- 128
- **hex**: #F7DF19


## Infobox (political party)

- **foundation**: 1982 (officially)
- **headquarters**: Beirut, Lebanon
- **ideology**: Shia IslamismAnti-imperialism
Anti-Western sentiment, Anti-WesternismAnti-Zionism
- **religion**: Shia Islam
- **international**: Axis of Resistance
- **website**: See #Other websites, List of official sites.
- **colours**: Yellow, Green
- **name**: Hezbollah
- **native name**: Party of God
- **caption**: Hezbollah fighters at a ceremony
- **colorcode**: #F7DF19
- **seats1 title**: Parliament of Lebanon
- **country**: Lebanon