Hezbollah

{{bronze}}[[File:Flag of Hezbollah.png|right|thumb|165px|Hezbollah's flag.]]
{{cquote|The Lebanese people deserve better than this false morality — this promise of protection that has always been conditional, always at the expense of Lebanon’s sovereignty and peace. Hezbollah is, in reality, a militia serving its own agenda and that of its foreign backer, Iran, rather than a force dedicated to the well-being of Lebanon. Its failure to shield itself from Israel’s attacks underscores a deeper truth: Hezbollah’s vision for Lebanon is one that keeps the country locked in a perpetual state of war, instability and fear.|||Lebanese-American politician {{wpl|David Ramadan|}}, 27 September 2024.<ref>[https://thehill.com/opinion/international/4902313-the-myth-of-hezbollah-has-been-shattered/  The myth of Hezbollah has been shattered]. Ramadan, David. ''The Hill.'' 27 September 2024.</ref>}}
{{islam}}

'''Hezbollah''' (Arabic: حزب الله, ''Ḥizbu 'llāh'', "Party of God") is a [[Shi'a]] [[Islamism|Islamist]] militant political organization based out of southern [[Lebanon]]. It has both a paramilitary wing directed by the {{wpl|Jihad Council|}} and a political party (the {{wpl|Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc|}}) that has formal representation in Lebanon's government at parliamentary, ministerial, and municipal levels.<ref name="lebhezcon">[https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/06/how-hezbollah-holds-sway-over-lebanese-state/02-influence-through-state-institutions  How Hezbollah holds sway over the Lebanese state]. ''Chatham House.''</ref> Hezbollah, in its entirety or just its military wing, has been designated as a [[terrorist]] organization by numerous countries and international organizations, including the [[United States]],<ref>[http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm Department of State list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations]</ref> the [[European Union]],<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/world/eu-adds-hezbollahs-military-wing-to-terrorism-list-idUSBRE96K0DA/ EU adds Hezbollah's military wing to terrorism list]. ''Reuters.'' July 22, 2013</ref>  the [[United Kingdom]],<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/417888/Proscription-20150327.pdf Home Office Proscribed Terrorist Organisations]. ''UK Home Office''. <small>(PDF)</small> [http://web.archive.org/web/20150716163443/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/417888/Proscription-20150327.pdf Archived] on 16 July 2015 by the Wayback Machine.</ref> the {{wpl|Gulf Cooperation Council|}},<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/gulf-cooperation-council-labels-hezbollah-a-terrorist-group-1456926654 Gulf Cooperation Council Labels Hezbollah a Terrorist Group]. ''Wall Street Journal.'' March 2, 2016.</ref> and [[Israel]]. Hezbollah has been responsible for numerous bloody terrorist attacks such as the {{wpl|1983 Beirut barracks bombings|}}, the {{wpl|1983 US embassy bombing in Beirut|}}, the 1994 {{wpl|AMIA bombing|}} in [[Argentina]], the {{wpl|Assassination of Rafic Hariri|2005 bombing of a former Lebanese prime minister and 21 bystanders|}},<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/the-hezbollah-connection.html The Hezbollah Connection]. ''New York Times.'' Feb. 10, 2015.</ref> and the {{wpl|2012 Burgas bus bombing|}} in [[Bulgaria]].<ref>[https://www.dw.com/en/bulgaria-jails-2-men-for-life-over-2012-bus-bombing/a-54999876 Bulgaria jails 2 men for life over 2012 bus bombing]. ''Deutsche Welle.''</ref> The group was also involved in military conflicts such as the {{wpl|2006 Lebanon War|}} and the [[Syrian Civil War]]. Between 1992 and 2024, Hezbollah was led by Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. He was killed in an Israeli airstrike on 27 September 2024 during a sharp uptick of violence between the two factions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/lebanons-hezbollah-confirms-leader-nasrallah-killed-2024-09-28/|title=Lebanon's Hezbollah confirms leader Nasrallah killed|publisher=''Reuters''|date=September 28, 2024}}</ref>

According to Hezbollah's manifesto, its stated objectives are to expel the Americans and [[France|French]] from Lebanon, to bring "justice" to those who committed [[war crimes]] during the {{wpl|Lebanese Civil War|}}, and form an Islamic government "capable of guaranteeing justice and liberty for all."<ref name="hezmanifesto">[https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/doctrine-hezbollah Doctrine of Hezbollah]. ''Wilson Center.''</ref> It is, however, most focused on its enmity with Israel and goal to see Israel destroyed.<ref name="crshezbol">[https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10703 Lebanese Hezbollah]. Congressional Research Service. Updated September 20, 2024.</ref> Nasrallah even made "Death to Israel" into a Hezbollah slogan.<ref name="hezmanifesto"/> 

To this end, Hezbollah has stockpiled missiles and artillery rockets to the point where it has become the most well-armed non-state actor in the world.<ref>[https://www.csis.org/analysis/hezbollahs-missiles-and-rockets Hezbollah’s Missiles and Rockets]. ''Center for Strategic and International Studies.'' July 5, 2018.</ref> It has a stronger military force than Lebanon's own national army,<ref>[https://www.newsweek.com/hezbollah-military-compared-israel-idf-military-1922094 Hezbollah's Military: How Does it Compare to Israel's Forces]. ''Newsweek.'' Jul 08, 2024</ref> although it has no interest in attempting to overthrow the government of Lebanon.<ref name="lebhezcon"/> It has no reason to do so, as it enjoys the appearance of political legitimacy within Lebanon while operating with complete impunity. Hezbollah is effectively a state within a state, acting in place of the Lebanese government throughout the southern part of the country and providing basic services to people who live in areas it controls.<ref name="statestate">[https://www.foreignaffairs.com/lebanon/what-lebanese-people-really-think-hezbollah What the Lebanese People Really Think of Hezbollah]. ''Foreign Affairs.'' July 12, 2024</ref> Hezbollah's popularity within Lebanon steadily grew through 2024 as the group responded to Israel's atrocities in Gaza.<ref name="statestate"/> 

Hezbollah is funded by [[Iran]] to the tune of roughly 700$ million per year (as estimated by the US State Department in 2020)<ref name>[https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/irans-islamist-proxies Iran’s Islamist Proxies in the Middle East]. ''Wilson Center.'' September 12, 2023.</ref>, all processed through the Hezbollah-controlled financial firm called the Al-Qard al-Hasan Association (AQAH).<ref name="aqah">[https://www.politico.eu/article/iran-terror-financing-middle-east-war-petrol-arab-gaza-israel-watchdog/  The battle over Iran’s terror financing]. ''Politico.'' August 26, 2024.</ref> Western sanctions on AQAH have been ineffective, and the firm's status within Lebanon as a "non-profit organization" means it operates without being [[tax]]ed or regulated.<ref name="aqah"/> 

Although Hezbollah has been careful to present itself internationally as being anti-[[Zionist]] rather than [[antisemitic]],<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE5AT3VK20091130/?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=11621&sp=true Hezbollah cuts Islamist rhetoric in new manifesto]. ''Reuters.'' November 30, 2009.</ref> its own [[propaganda]] endlessly vilifies [[Jews]] as "enemies of mankind" while promoting the false [[International Jewish conspiracy]].<ref> Wistrich, Robert S. ''A Lethal Obsession: Anti-Semitism from Antiquity to the Global Jihad.'' New York: Random House, 2010. p. 770.</ref> Co-founder and longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah was also a [[Holocaust denial|Holocaust denier]], saying in 2000 that "Jews invented the legend of the [[Nazi]] atrocities. It is clear that the numbers they talk about are greatly exaggerated."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071023021211/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2000/4/Excerpts%20from%20Speech%20by%20Hizbullah%20Secretary-Genera Excerpts from Speech by Hizbullah Secretary-General Nasrallah - 9-Apr-2000]. April 9, 2000.</ref>

==History==
[[File:South Lebanon Security Belt 22.jpg|thumb|right|325px|Israeli forces during the occupation of southern Lebanon, 1990.]]
{{cquote|When we entered Lebanon, there was no Hizballah... It was our presence there that created Hizballah.|||{{wpl|Ehud Barak|}}, former Israeli prime minister.<ref name="time">[https://time.com/archive/6946917/hizballah/ Hizballah]. ''Time Magazine.'' June 8, 2009.</ref>}}
===Formation in the Lebanese Civil War===
Hezbollah formed in response to the Israeli military invasion of Lebanon in 1982, which was motivated by the Palestinian Liberation Organization's (PLO) use of Lebanon as a base for terrorist activity.<ref name="lebwar82">[https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/13/veterans-warn-of-echoes-from-1982-lebanon-war-as-new-conflict-looms-on-israels-northern-borders Veterans warn of echoes from 1982 Lebanon war as new conflict looms on Israel’s northern borders]. ''The Guardian.''</ref> The Israeli invasion sparked chaos in the religiously divided Lebanese nation, and its siege of Beirut lasted two months and cost thousands of lives.<ref name="lebwar82"/> Shia Muslims in the south of the country were displaced from their homes in the violence, and the region became a major world humanitarian crisis.<ref>Al-Aloosy, Massaab (2020). ''The Changing Ideology of Hezbollah.'' Springer International Publishing. p. 176-177</ref>

Wanting to fight back, local Shia militias met with members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and began organizing and training with their guidance.<ref>Farida, Mariam (2019). ''Religion and Hezbollah: Political Ideology and Legitimacy.'' Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-45857-2. p. 2</ref> Hezbollah's ideology was shaped by that of Iranian Supreme Leader [[Ruhollah Khomeini]]. During its struggle against Israeli occupation, Hezbollah gained several reputations. The first was radicalism, as expressed in the {{wpl|War of Brothers|}} and the {{wpl|War of the Camps|}} in which it clashed with more [[secular]] Shia organizations like the {{wpl|Amal Movement|}}. Hezbollah was also noted for its success in holding off the Israeli military in certain armed clashes, which was at the time unprecedented in the Arab world.<ref name="time"/> Being militarily weaker than the [[Israel Defence Forces]] (IDF), Hezbollah employed asymmetric warfare and suicide bombings against IDF and civilian targets in both Lebanon and Israel.<ref> Pape, Robert (2005). ''Dying to win: the strategic logic of suicide terrorism.'' New York: Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6317-8. Specifically: "Suicide Terrorist Campaigns, 1980–2003", Appendix 1. (p. 253 of Australian paperback edition, published by Scribe Publications) </ref> 

Its origins in resisting Israeli occupation allow Hezbollah to bill itself as a Shia resistance movement aiming to protect their communities in southern Lebanon from foreign aggression. In 1992, its first leader {{wpl|Abbas al-Musawi|}} was killed in an Israeli helicopter raid, and Hassan Nasrallah was chosen as his successor.<ref name="nassrise">[https://apnews.com/article/hezbollah-nasrallah-lebanon-israel-airstrikes-haret-hreik-7d89051bb420991cee29398243c250fe Who was longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah?] ''Associated Press.'' September 28, 2024.</ref> He is credited with organizing Hezbollah's successful war of attrition, which finally convinced Israel to abandon its occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000.<ref name="nassrise"/> Nasrallah was an effective public speaker and became a master at [[propaganda]]. His messages were broadcast on Hezbollah's own radio and satellite TV stations.

===Terrorist activities against the West===
[[File:Beirutembassy.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Aftermath of the 1983 US Embassy bombing.]]
{{cquote|Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror.|||US President [[Joe Biden]], 29 September 2024.<ref name="nassyded">[https://www.npr.org/2024/09/29/g-s1-25322/biden-nasrallah-hezbollah-israel Why the U.S. government is hailing Israel's killing of Hezbollah's leader as 'justice']. ''NPR.''</ref>}}
Hezbollah did not limit itself to launching terrorist strikes at Israel. As stated in its manifesto, it wanted to drive all Western countries out of Lebanon to make way for the rise of a Shia fundamentalist government. Their ire was directed at the {{wpl|Multinational Force in Lebanon|}} (MNF), which was comprised of military assets and soldiers from the [[United States]], [[France]], [[United Kingdom]], and [[Italy]]. They were intended to help the Lebanese government reassert control over its own territory and oversee the PLO's evacuation from the country.<ref>[https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/middle-east/lebanon.html Lebanon—They Came in Peace]. ''Naval History and Heritage Command.''</ref>

On 18 April 1983, a Hezbollah suicide bomber attacked the US Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people including Lebanese civilians.<ref>[https://lb.usembassy.gov/40th-anniversary-of-the-april-18-1983-embassy-bombing/ 40th Anniversary of the April 18, 1983 Embassy Bombing]. ''US Embassy in Lebanon.'' April 18, 2023.</ref> At the time, it was the deadliest attack on a United States diplomatic mission in history. Hezbollah followed up the next year by {{wpl|1984 US embassy bombing in Beirut|bombing the reestablished US Embassy}}, killing 23 people. Hezbollah also launched a truck bomb attack on the MNF barracks in Beirut on 23 October, killing 241 US and 58 French soldiers.<ref name="heztruck">[https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/09/21/beirut-bombings-marines-hezbollah/ For Americans scarred by Beirut bombings, a measure of delayed justice]. ''Washington Post.'' September 21, 2024.</ref> These attacks, along with various kidnappings of American and [[German]] nationals across Lebanon, were traced to Ibrahim Aqil, the commander and planner of Hezbollah's "special operations."<ref name="heztruck"/> The attacks led to some criticism aimed at President [[Ronald Reagan]], as it was known he had overruled his Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, who had advised against sending US forces into Lebanon.<ref>[https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/target/interviews/weinberger.html Interview: Caspar Weinberger]. ''PBS Frontline.''</ref> When US forces withdrew from Lebanon in 1984, Reagan was further criticized for failing to fully retaliate for the attacks. 

Even after US withdrawal, Hezbollah continued to target American and Western targets. In 1985, hijackers seized control of TWA Flight 847 and threatened to kill all 153 passengers and crew members unless hundreds of Lebanese prisoners were freed by Israel.<ref>[https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/hijacking-of-twa-flight-847 Hijacking of TWA Flight 847]. Federal Bureau of Investigation.</ref> 23-year-old Robert Stethem, a driver for the US Navy, was [[torture]]d, shot in the head, and then dumped on the tarmac of Beirut airport. The hijackings were traced back to senior members of Hezbollah.<ref> Ranstorp, Magnus, ''Hizb'allah in Lebanon: The Politics of the Western Hostage Crisis,'' New York, St. Martins Press, 1997, p. 95. OCLC 89805638 </ref> Elsewhere, Hezbollah conducted a 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in [[Argentina]] that killed 85 people, making that the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentina's history.<ref>[https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20240412-argentina-court-blames-iran-for-deadly-1994-attacks-on-jewish-centre Argentina court blames Iran for deadly 1994 bombing of Jewish center]. ''Fance24.'' 12/04/2024.</ref> Hezbollah also conducted a 1996 bombing in [[Saudi Arabia]] that killed 19 Americans.<ref>[https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2671543/25-years-later-remembering-khobar-towers/ 25 Years Later: Remembering Khobar Towers]. US Air Force. June 25, 2021.</ref>

===2006 war with Israel===
[[File:Hizbollah posters 2006.jpg|thumb|right|185px|Hezbollah declares victory after the war.]]
On 12 July 2006, Hezbollah fighters launched a cross-border raid into Israel, killing three IDF soldiers and taking two hostage.<ref name="borderraid">[https://www.hrw.org/reports/2007/lebanon0907/7.htm "Why They Died: V. Background to the Israel-Hezbollah war]". ''Human Rights Watch.''</ref> This was part of a strategy by Nasrallah to take Israeli hostages and exchange them for Lebanese prisoners held by Israel. When the IDF sent a tank into Lebanon to rescue the hostages, it hit a landmine, killing three more soldiers.<ref name="borderraid"/> Another died in the ensuing shootout.

Hezbollah anticipated that Israel would launch munitions at its positions in Lebanon and then attempt to negotiate for the hostages.<ref name="borderraid"/> Instead, Israel launched a full-scale military invasion of southern Lebanon. Lebanese citizens largely blamed Hezbollah for initiating conflict and dragging their country into a war,<ref name="brookwar">[https://www.brookings.edu/articles/echoes-of-2006-israel-hezbollah-and-the-potential-for-regional-war/ Echoes of 2006: Israel, Hezbollah, and the potential for regional war]. ''Brookings Institute.'' August 9, 2024.</ref> and Nasrallah even went as far as to apologize to the Lebanese public for initiating conflict during a televised broadcast.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/aug/28/syria.israel Hizbullah leader: we regret the two kidnappings that led to war with Israel]. ''The Guardian.'' 27 Aug 2006.</ref> 

The war saw Israel deploy land mines and cluster bombs, and more than 1,000 Lebanese civilians and combatants died as a result of the war.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220328125249/https://apnews.com/article/82ccc1313d4332f45e2dc09f6bd44989 Lebanon Sees More Than 1,000 War Deaths]. ''Associated Press.'' December 28, 2006.</ref> It was, unfortunately, difficult to tell civilian and combatant casualties apart since Hezbollah militants frequently did not wear combatant uniforms (which is a [[war crime]]). Israel also put Lebanon under a naval blockade, an operation which lasted even after the ceasefire.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2006/09/08/5952509/israel-ends-naval-blockade-of-lebanon Israel Ends Naval Blockade of Lebanon]. ''NPR.'' September 8, 2006.</ref> 

Hezbollah, meanwhile, could reasonably claim that it had gotten the better end of the fighting. Its militants avoided direct clashes in the open with Israeli soldiers and launched numerous rockets into Israel.<ref>[https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-israels-second-lebanon-war-remains-a-resounding-failure-1.5407519 Israel’s Second Lebanon War Remains a Resounding Failure]. ''Haaretz.'' Jul 12, 2016.</ref> This strategy was effective in preserving Hezbollah's combat ability in the face of a superior enemy. Israel's retaliation, which involved bombing any piece of Lebanon where rockets came from, did not win it any friends.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7381389.stm 2006: Lebanon war]. ''BBC News.''</ref> A little over a month after the war began, Israel agreed to a ceasefire and withdrew from Lebanon. Hezbollah hailed its survival in the war and the Israeli withdrawal as a great success, and its popularity in Lebanon grew tremendously as a result of anti-Israel backlash..<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120914203648/http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/the-2006-lebanon-war-a-short-history The 2006 Lebanon War]. ''Small Wars Journal''.</ref> Apparently people don't like having their houses and roads blown up. Who knew?

===Role in the Syrian Civil War and declining popularity===
[[File:Hezbollah military assets in Syria.jpg|thumb|right|325px|Hezbollah fighters and military equipment in Syria.]]
{{main|Syrian Civil War}}
In 2012, Hezbollah launched a military intervention into the Syrian Civil War in order to aid its longtime ally [[Bashar al-Assad]], playing a decisive role in saving his regime. Based on his rhetoric, Nasrallah had begun the operation to protect ethnic Lebanese living in Syria, but Hezbollah became increasingly involved in defending regime-controlled areas and establishing allied militias in [[Syria]].<ref name="hezsyria">[https://web.archive.org/web/20240921140817/https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2019/03/power-points-defining-the-syria-hezbollah-relationship?lang=en&center=middle-east Power Points Defining the Syria-Hezbollah Relationship]. ''Carnegie Middle East Center.'' March 29, 2019.</ref> As Hezbollah's casualties sharply rose, it became difficult for Nasrallah to keep describing its operations as "limited." In 2013, Nasrallah admitted that Hezbollah's operations were focused on propping up its fellow Shia regime to prevent itself from being surrounded by enemies.<ref name="hezsyria"/> Hezbollah and Iran also took the opportunity to train militias across Syria that would be loyal to Iran rather than the regime, a development that disturbed the Assad regime. By 2017, the regime was grappling with Hezbollah and Iran over control of the militias, and it had leaned further on assistance from [[Russia]] to prevent a total reliance on Hezbollah military assets.<ref name="hezsyria"/>

To a large degree, the operation backfired on Hezbollah. The group and its Iranian backers spent about $6 billion propping up Assad,<ref name="hezsyria"/> and the sectarian nature of its involvement undermined its claims to be fighting for all Lebanese regardless of religion. In 2013, a car bomb attack in Beirut was traced to [[Sunni]] supporters of the uprising against Assad, who were now angry at Hezbollah for intervening against their coreligionists in Syria.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130929090905/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/world/middleeast/syria.html?_r=0 Car Bombing Injures Dozens in Hezbollah Section of Beirut]. ''New York Times.'' July 9, 2013.</ref> Perceptions of Hezbollah across the [[Middle East]] shifted from "plucky resistance fighters against Israel" to "just another sectarian militia group".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230517163839/http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/40656/how-the-arab-world-turned-against-hezbollah How the Arab world turned against Hezbollah]. ''The Prospect.'' October 5, 2020.</ref> A poll conducted by the (admittedly pro-Israel) {{wpl|Washington Institute for Near East Policy|}} in November 2020 indicated that Hezbollah's popularity had declined consistently between 2017 and 2020, particularly among non-Shias, leading to the following dismal numbers:<ref>[https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/lebanon-poll-shows-drop-hezbollah-support-even-among-shia-plurality-back-israel  Lebanon Poll Shows Drop in Hezbollah Support, Even Among Shia; Plurality Back Israel Boundary Talks]. ''Washington Institute for Near East Policy.'' Dec 1, 2020.</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style=text-align:right;
! rowspan=2 | Religion
! colspan=5 | View (%)
|-
! Very<br /> positive
! Somewhat<br /> positive
! Somewhat<br /> negative
! Very<br /> negative
! Unsure
|-
| [[Christian]]
| 6
| 10
| 23
| '''59'''
| 2
|-
| [[Shia]]
| '''66'''
| 23
| 10
| 2
| 0
|-
| [[Sunni]]
| 2
| 6
| 32
| '''60'''
| 0
|}

===2024 military conflict with Israel===
[[File:Smoke and fire over Beirut from an IDF strike 2024.JPG|thumb|right|375px|Beirut's suburbs in flames after Israeli airstrikes, 30 September 2024.]]
In 2023 and 2024, Hezbollah engaged in increasingly dangerous brinkmanship with Israel in solidarity with [[Hamas]] and its efforts in the Israel war in [[Gaza]]. Its popularity began to recover as a result of popular anger in Lebanon against Israel's actions.<ref name="statestate"/> During remarks shortly after the 10/7 attacks on Israel, Nasrallah emphasized his claim that Hezbollah had not been aware of or involved in planning for the attacks, but he praised Hamas and its slaughter of Israeli civilians.<ref>[https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/how-hezbollah-sees-war-gaza How Hezbollah Sees the War in Gaza]. ''Council on Foreign Relations].'' November 6, 2023.</ref>

With the intensification of military hostilities, air strikes from Israel and rocket attacks from Hezbollah raised the specter of an outright war as early as November 2023.<ref>[https://www.chathamhouse.org/2023/11/closer-israel-gets-destroying-hamas-more-likely-war-hezbollah-becomes  The closer Israel gets to destroying Hamas, the more likely war with Hezbollah becomes]. ''Chatham House.'' 17 November 2023.</ref> By 2024, escalating violence along Israel's northern border forced tens of thousands of Israelis to flee their homes.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2024/01/10/1223892458/israel-north-hezbollah-kiryat-shmona As conflict on Israel's northern border grows, residents agonize over whether to stay]. ''NPR.'' January 10, 2024.</ref> An IDF bombing raid in July 2024 killed Fouad Shukur, who was the direct superior of Ibrahim Aquil, the perpetrator of the 1983 embassy and barracks bombings.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-fouad-shukur-dbac61891ab76496022a10afdee6fd77 Hezbollah military commander claimed killed by Israel was blamed by the US for 1983 Marine bombing]. ''Associated Press.'' July 30, 2024.</ref> 

On 17 and 18 September 2024, Israel executed a dramatic decapitation attack on Hezbollah that was accomplished by placing explosive devices inside pagers used by Hezbollah leaders and fighters.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2024/09/18/g-s1-23577/pagers-devices-explode-hezbollah-lebanon-israel Another wave of blasts hits Lebanon, as Hezbollah reels from pager explosions]. ''NPR.'' September 18, 2024.</ref> Israel detonated the devices by sending a signal to the Hezbollah pagers, and the attacks killed dozens and wounded thousands. Israel shortly thereafter announced that it intended to take all measures necessary to weaken Hezbollah to the point where its citizens could safely return to their homes along the northern border. 

A September 21 IDF airstrike on a Beirut suburb resulted in the death of several top Hezbollah commanders, including the mass murderer Ibrahim Aquil.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2024/09/20/nx-s1-5120538/israel-airstrike-beirut-lebanon-hezbollah Hezbollah says top commander, several officers killed in Israeli strike on Beirut suburb]. ''NPR.'' September 21, 2024.</ref> September 23 was a major escalation, as Israeli airstrikes targeted 1,300 Hezbollah rocket sites and killed 500 people.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2024/09/23/nx-s1-5123377/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-fighting Lebanon counts nearly 500 killed in a day of Israeli strikes, with over 1,600 wounded]. ''NPR.'' September 23, 2024.</ref> Airstrikes continued, killing two [[United Nations]]<ref>[https://www.unhcr.org/lb/18817-unhcr-mourns-killing-of-beloved-staff-member-and-contractor-staff-in-lebanon.html UNHCR mourns killing of beloved staff member and contractor staff in Lebanon]. UNHCR. 24 Sep 2024.</ref> workers and hundreds more people all while Israel denounced international calls for a ceasefire.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2024/09/27/nx-s1-5131429/israel-netanyahu-un-speech-lebanon-gaza-iran Netanyahu defies calls for a cease-fire at the U.N., as Israel strikes Lebanon]. ''NPR.'' September 27, 2024.</ref> 

The airstrikes were finally successful in killing longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a Beirut suburb, depriving the group of its charismatic and organized leader.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-airstrikes-28-september-2024-c4751957433ff944c4eb06027885a973 Hezbollah confirms its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike]. ''Associated Press.'' September 28, 2024.</ref> Good riddance. By this point, Hezbollah was all but decapitated<ref>[https://www.newstatesman.com/world/middle-east/2024/09/the-decapitation-of-hezbollah The decapitation of Hezbollah]. ''The New Statesman.'' 28 September 2024.</ref> and facing another war for survival against an Israeli ground invasion that began in October 2024.<ref>[https://www.vox.com/israel/375125/lebanon-hezbollah-israel-iran-invasion-gaza Israel has invaded Lebanon. Here’s what could come next.] ''Vox.'' Oct 2, 2024.</ref> 

While the ground campaign did not destroy Hezbollah, it was disastrous for the terrorist group. Israel delivered a crushing defeat to the decapitated and disorganized terrorist group, detonating its tunnels and disrupting Hezbollah's ability to fire more rockets into Israel.<ref>{{cite web | last=Carter | first=Brian | title=Institute for the Study of War | website=Institute for the Study of War | date=2024-12-02 | url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/israels-victory-lebanon}}</ref> While Hezbollah tried to claim victory after the ceasefire, its statements rang hollow compared to the reality of its defeat.<ref>{{cite web | last=Christou | first=William | title=Hezbollah tries to claim victory as Lebanon mourns its dead | website=the Guardian | date=2024-11-28 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/28/hezbollah-tries-to-claim-victory-as-lebanon-mourns-its-dead}}</ref>

==Armed forces and military strength==
{{cquote|As a fighting force, Hezbollah is highly trained and disciplined, unlike many other guerrilla groups. During the 2006 war, in the experience of this correspondent, it was rare to encounter Hezbollah fighters. One day we came upon several of them in the ruins of a southern Lebanese village. They were polite but firm, devoid of boastful bluster and swagger, insisting we leave immediately for our own safety. They wouldn’t take no for an answer.|||Ben Wedeman, [[CNN]] senior international correspondent.<ref name="cnnhezdip">[https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/27/middleeast/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-analysis-intl-latam-hnk/index.html  Why an Israel-Hezbollah war would be far more dangerous today than the last time around ]. ''CNN.'' June 27, 2024.</ref>}} 

By 2020, Hezbollah was regarded by international observers as the world's most heavily-armed non-state actor, although much of its military strength was in the form of "small, man-portable and unguided surface-to-surface artillery rockets".<ref>[https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/hezbollah-world%E2%80%99s-most-heavily-armed-non-state-actor-145777 Hezbollah Is the World’s Most Heavily-Armed Non-State Actor]. ''National Interest.'' April 18, 2020.</ref> Hezbollah is also noted for the unusual level of training and discipline given to its fighters. Combat in Syria also taught Hezbollah some important skills, such as mass force maneuvers, coordination with other militias and armed forces, and effectively swapping intelligence with state actors.<ref>[https://www.voanews.com/a/hezbollah-develops-new-skills-in-syria-posing-challenges-for-israel/3304664.html Hezbollah Develops New Skills in Syria, Posing Challenges for Israel]. ''Voice of America News.'' April 27, 2016.</ref> Although the intervention in Syria weakened Hezbollah's legitimacy, it strengthened the capabilities of its armed forces. Hezbollah is estimated Israeli intelligence to have roughly 150,000 missiles and rockets and between 40,000 and 50,000 fighters.<ref name="cnnhezdip"/> It is, in short, a formidable military threat. 

Hezbollah has also long been preparing for a showdown with Israel ever since the conclusion of the 2006 war. It demonstrated a degree of sophistication in its actions against Israel in 2024 through tactics like launching precision strikes on Israel's array of surveillance outposts along the border, shooting down advanced high-flying Israeli drones, and being able to take down portions of Israel's Iron Dome defense system.<ref name="cnnhezdip"/> They also managed to shock and alarm Israel by publishing 9 minutes of drone footage of IDF military locations in and around Haifa, one of Israel's major cities.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/18/middleeast/hezbollah-drone-video-israel-haifa-intl-latam/index.html  Hezbollah leader threatens Cyprus as tensions with Israel ramp up]. ''CNN.'' June 20, 2024.</ref> The group also expanded its military strength significantly since it successfully endured the Israeli incursion of 2006. Compared to the 2024 estimates above, it had a few thousand fighters and 33,000 rockets and missiles in 2006.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36672803 Hezbollah: Five ways group has changed since 2006 Israel war]. ''BBC News.'' 11 July 2016.</ref> 

A factor complicating estimations of Hezbollah is the difficulty in determining the exact extent of its assets, and observers noted in October 2024 that it was unclear how badly Hezbollah had been weakened by its losses and defeats in September because of its success in concealing this information.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/article/hezbollah-military-capability.html What We Know About Hezbollah’s Military Capability]. ''New York Times.'' Oct. 1, 2024.</ref>

==Hezbollah in Lebanon: how a terrorist group controls a country==
[[File:Hassan Nasrallah's speech in Beirut, November 2023 (13).jpg|thumb|right|350px|Hezbollah supporters attend a speech by Hassan Nasrallah in November 2023.]]
{{cquote|This is a failed state. The state has been hijacked, hijacked for quite some time by Hezbollah. And behind it Iran. We have to get back to having a functioning government.|||{{wpl|Fouad Siniora|}}, former Lebanese prime minister, in October 2024.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/war-rages-lebanon-see-opportunity-weakened-hezbollah-rcna173851 As war rages, some in Lebanon see opportunity in a weakened Hezbollah]. ''NBC News.'' Oct. 4, 2024.</ref>}}

After the 1989 {{wpl|Taif Agreement|}}, which established religious coexistence as the goal of Lebanese domestic politics and thus ended the [[civil war]], Hezbollah reinvented itself as a political party aiming to peacefully reform Lebanon into an Islamist regime. Hezbollah ran in the 1992 elections and won eight seats in the Lebanese Parliament.<ref name="cfrleb">[https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-hezbollah#chapter-title-0-5 What is Hezbollah?: What role has it played in Lebanese politics?] ''Council on Foreign Relations.'' Updated  October 4, 2024.</ref> In 2005, Hezbollah assassinated Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri with a bomb that also killed 21 bystanders.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-60691507 Rafik Hariri killing: Hezbollah duo convicted of 2005 bombing on appeal]. ''BBC News.'' 10 March 2022.</ref> Hariri had called for Syrian forces to withdraw from Lebanon, a move Hezbollah strongly opposed. 

[[File:Mleeta Museum in May 2018 (02).jpg|thumb|left|250px|Anybody want to take a field trip to the Hezbollah museum?]]

Protests against both Syria and Hezbollah threatened the party's position, so it allied with some smaller parties to form the {{wpl|March 8 Alliance|}} to bolster its appearance of legitimacy.<ref name="lebhezcon"/> Power in Lebanon's dysfunctional government was and is exercised largely informally through a network of political alliances, and the March 8 Coalition served Hezbollah's interests well. In 2009, Hezbollah completed its transition into a Lebanese political party by updating its manifesto in 2009, removing many references to Islamism and adding a vague call for "true democracy".<ref name="cfrleb"/> 

Hezbollah even {{wpl|Tourist Landmark of the Resistance|opened a museum about itself|}} in 2010. The museum gift shop sells Hezbollah-branded merchandise like mugs, "nourishing shampoo", posters, and pins with Hassan Nasrallah's face on them.<ref>[https://www.thetimes.com/world/israel-hamas-war/article/yes-i-did-exit-through-the-gift-shop-my-visit-to-hezbollahs-museums-flr2l2grq Exiting through the gift shop at Hezbollah’s Museums of Jihad and Resistance]. ''The Times.'' May 12 2024.</ref>

Using its political connections, Hezbollah has controlled at least two cabinet positions in Lebanon since 2008, and it had effective veto power over all actions of the Lebanese Parliament until 2019.<ref name="lebhezcon"/> The group used its ministerial positions to direct state resources towards areas it controls in order to maintain the appearance that it is providing for the people who live there.<ref name="lebhezcon"/> Hezbollah also oversaw embezzlement of foreign aid and the siphoning of state cash for its own purposes. Lebanon thus has one of the worst political corruption situations in the world, and this contributed to the collapse of its economy in 2019.<ref>[https://thegeopolitics.com/exposing-hezbollahs-corruption-of-lebanon/ Exposing Hezbollah’s Corruption of Lebanon]. ''The Geopolitics.'' October 13, 2023.</ref> Hezbollah is a parasite on the Lebanese state. Its use of state resources for its own benefit comes at the expense of everyone else in Lebanon.

As Lebanon's financial crisis worsened in 2020, Hezbollah established its own shadow economy meant to assist the regions of Lebanon that it controls. Its control over the Health Ministry allowed it to make medicine cheaper in its own regions, and its control over the banking sector helped it create a very effective social [[welfare]] system for its supporters.<ref>[https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/hezbollah-has-created-parallel-financial-and-welfare-systems-manage-current-crisis  Hezbollah Has Created Parallel Financial and Welfare Systems to Manage the Current Crisis ]. ''Washington Institute for Near East Policy.'' Dec 9, 2020.</ref> This is actually something Hezbollah has been known for even before the current financial situation. It has operated a vast network of independent social services to provide infrastructure, health-care facilities, schools, and youth programs for the people who live under its control.<ref name="cfrleb"/> It does this to win support for itself and create the appearance that people are better off living under its governance.

==See also==
*[[Ali Khamenei]]
*[[George Galloway]]
*[[Hamas]]
*[[Ruhollah Khomeini]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

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Categories: Anti-Christian bigotry, Antisemitism, Anti-Western, Crimes against humanity, Far-right political parties, Fundamentalism, Holocaust denial, Islamic extremism, Middle East, Militia movement, Propaganda, Racism, Terrorist organisations, We're on a mission from God