Hezbollah: Unveiling the Mighty Iran-Backed Force Residing on Israel's Doorstep

Hezbollah, an Islamist movement backed by Iran, possesses one of the strongest paramilitary forces in the Middle East. With its primary stronghold situated along the border between Israel and Lebanon, the group has the potential to disrupt the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict, potentially leading to a larger regional turmoil.

The conflict, initiated by deadly attacks from Hamas onto Israel, claimed by Israeli officials to have resulted in the deaths of 1,400 individuals, has already had significant consequences throughout the Middle East. It has led to strained diplomatic relations and widespread protests on a global scale.

Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have claimed the lives of over 3,500 individuals, as reported by Palestinian health authorities, in the wake of the attacks on October 7. The repercussions are evident along the Lebanon-Israel border, where Hezbollah and Israel have been involved in ongoing retaliatory clashes, intensifying tensions throughout the entire region.

Heres what else to know about Hezbollah.

The origins of the group

Hezbollah emerged after Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon, during which Israeli forces occupied almost half of Lebanon, including Beirut. In Beirut, Israeli forces, in collaboration with right-wing Israel-aligned Christian Lebanese militias, besieged the western part of the city to expel Palestinian militants. The Israeli operation resulted in over 17,000 deaths, as reported at the time, and an Israeli inquiry known as the Kahan Commission of Inquiry determined that Israel bore indirect responsibility for the brutal massacre at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camp. The massacre, considered one of the deadliest events in the region's recent history, was carried out by Christian Lebanese fighters aligned with the right-wing.

Estimates for the number of deaths at Sabra and Shatila vary between 700 and 3,000.

Hezbollah supporters raise their fists to salute party leader Hassan Nasrallah in May 2023.

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When numerous Palestinian fighters departed from Lebanon, a group of Shia Islamist fighters, who had received training from the newly established Islamic Republic of Iran, made a noteworthy and forceful entrance into Lebanon's fragmented political scene. Despite being disorganized, this group had a significant and violent impact. In 1983, two suicide bombers affiliated with this faction carried out an attack on a US marine barracks in Beirut, resulting in the deaths of nearly 300 US and French personnel, as well as some civilians. A year later, fighters with ties to Iran bombed the US Embassy in Beirut, causing the deaths of 23 individuals. This group of militants subsequently solidified their presence by establishing a new organization called Hezbollah in 1985.

The group openly declared its ideological loyalty to Tehran and consistently received financial support from the Islamic Republic. This significant backing played a crucial role in elevating Hezbollah's prominence. The organization actively engaged in Lebanon's civil war, which concluded in 1990, and spearheaded a campaign against Israeli forces who had occupied southern Lebanon, successfully driving them out in 2000.

A terror designation

In Lebanon, Hezbollah is recognized as a "resistance" group with the mission of confronting Israel, a country that Beirut views as an adversary. However, the Western community has classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organization mostly due to Argentina's accusation that the group was behind the 1992 attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, resulting in the death of 29 individuals, and the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center, resulting in the death of 85 people, both incidents occurring in the capital city.

Iran and Hezbollah have both denied any involvement in these attacks.

In 2011, the Arab Spring protests, originally aimed at promoting democracy, escalated into proxy wars extending across the Middle East. Among the participants, Hezbollah actively engaged in combat alongside Iran-aligned forces in Syria and Iraq. Subsequently, numerous Arab countries classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. However, this designation had minimal impact on the group's influence. Throughout the prolonged proxy conflicts, Hezbollah witnessed a remarkable surge in power, transforming from guerrilla insurgents into a formidable regional military force.

Women carry the images of late Hezbollah commander Mustafa Badreddine during a ceremony in Beirut on May 12.

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How Hezbollah relates to Hamas

Hezbollah and Hamas have not always been in agreement. These two Islamist organizations took opposing sides during the Syrian uprising, which escalated into a civil war. Hezbollah supported Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, while Hamas militants backed the predominantly Sunni opposition.

Hezbollah represents the Shia branch of Islam, whereas Hamas follows the Sunni denomination.

Following the winding down of the Syrian war in the majority of the country, Hamas and Hezbollah decided to put aside their differences. The alliance between the two groups has been praised multiple times by Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah. In the past year, Hamas leaders have held several meetings with Nasrallah, and their strengthening ties with Tehran are well-known in Gaza.

A growing regional power isolated at home

Amidst Hezbollah's engagements in distant battles, problems started to emerge within Lebanon, their own homeland. The group's widespread appeal beyond its Shia support base has been increasingly impacted by recurring episodes of economic and political upheavals over the past twenty years.

The group found itself overwhelmed by broader economic issues that it was unable to resolve. It stood as a barrier against the Lebanese protests seeking reform from a political class widely implicated in corruption, and even mobilized its followers to physically attack peaceful demonstrators.

Furthermore, Hezbollah has effectively stifled a legal inquiry into the devastating Beirut port explosion that caused extensive damage to the city in August 2020.

But this may not matter to the objectives of the groups. Hezbollah is arguably Iran's most successful non-state ally. As its influence grows in the region, it could potentially pose an even greater threat to its long-standing enemy, Israel.

People with Hezbollah flags at a rally in Baalbek in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley in May 2022.

Francesca Volpi/Getty Images

Why Hezbollah could become embroiled in the Hamas-Israel war

The involvement of Hezbollah in the Hamas-Israel conflict, in support of the Palestinians, remains uncertain. While sharing Hamas' objective of eradicating the Jewish state, Hezbollah also faces significant risks and potential losses.

Israel maintains its position as the most advanced military in the Middle East, thanks to its possession of state-of-the-art weaponry and strong support from the United States. The recent conflict between Israel and Gaza serves as a cautionary tale. In response to a large-scale and deadly terrorist attack by Hamas, Israel has inflicted a greater number of casualties on Gazans compared to any previous war with the blockaded coastal strip. This has undoubtedly had a chilling effect on Lebanon, a country still struggling to recover from the severe economic crisis of 2019, which has left significant parts of the nation in ruins.

Additionally, Israel may have reservations about engaging in a conflict with the Iran-backed group, Hezbollah. A war with Hezbollah in Israel's northern region could potentially spark a third front in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. This area acts as a buffer between Israel and Iranian-aligned forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is an esteemed division of the Iranian military.

Hezbollah's arsenal may not be as powerful as Israel's, but it does possess advanced precision guided missiles, a significant upgrade from the outdated Soviet-era rockets used in their previous conflict in 2006. Nasrallah asserts that his forces consist of over 100,000 members, including active fighters and reservists.

If Hezbollah were to engage in the war, it would initiate a multi-front conflict that could push the Middle East into unfamiliar territory, leading to unpredictable outcomes.