How the Lebanese Hezbollah group became a crucial player in the war between Israel and Hamas

Founded in 1982 during Lebanon’s civil war, Hezbollah’s initial goal was to end the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, which it eventually achieved in 2000.

Beirut: When the Lebanese militia Hezbollah announced last week that its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, would make his first public speech since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, much of the region held its breath.

Would Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Arab world’s most powerful paramilitary force, continue its limited firefights with Israel or throw itself wholeheartedly into the war? In Lebanon, the streets emptied as people sat glued to their screens, ready to parse his words alongside decision-makers in Israel and across the Middle East.

Hezbollah has exchanged fire with Israeli forces along the border since the day after Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack in southern Israel sparked war in the Gaza Strip. Both sides have suffered casualties, but there are fears that the conflict will escalate and turn into a regional battle.

Nasrallah nodded to these concerns in his speech on Friday. “Some say I’m going to announce that we have entered the battle,” he said. “We already entered into battle on October 8.”

But he stopped short of saying Hezbollah would join the fight more fully.

Here’s a look at why Hezbollah and its leader are key players in the trajectory of the war between Israel and Hamas.

WHAT IS HEZBOLLA?

Shiite Muslim Hezbollah is part of a collection of Iranian-backed groups and governments in the region known as the Axis of Resistance.

Founded in 1982 during Lebanon’s civil war, Hezbollah’s initial goal was to end the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, which it eventually achieved in 2000. It was the first group that Iran invested in to export its brand of political Islamism.

In its early days, the group also carried out attacks on American targets, prompting Washington to designate it a terrorist organization.

“Iran’s support has helped Hezbollah consolidate its position as Lebanon’s most powerful political player, as well as the best-equipped military player backed by Iran across the Middle East,” Lina Khatib, director of the SOAS Middle East Institute, told reporters. in London. The Associated Press.

After Hezbollah fighters ambushed an Israeli patrol and took two Israeli soldiers hostage in 2006, Hezbollah and Israel fought a month-long war that ended in a draw – but not before Israeli bombardment caused widespread destruction in southern Lebanon.

At the time, Israel’s goal was similar to the current war with Hamas: eliminating Hezbollah. Instead, the group emerged stronger – not just an armed force, but also a major political party in Lebanon.

However, domestic opponents criticized Hezbollah for maintaining its arsenal and dominating the government. Its reputation also suffered when it briefly seized part of Beirut in May 2008 after the Lebanese government took action against its private telecommunications network.

WHO IS HASSAN NASRALLAH?

Nasrallah was born in 1960 to a poor Shiite family in the Beirut suburb of Bourj Hammoud and later moved to southern Lebanon. Nasrallah studied theology and joined the Amal movement, a Shiite political and paramilitary organization, before becoming one of the founders of Hezbollah.

He became the leader of Hezbollah in 1992 after his predecessor was killed in an Israeli attack. Nasrallah is now one of the most powerful political figures in Lebanon.

Revered by many for leading Israel’s withdrawal from the south and directing the 2006 war, his likeness appears on billboards and on gadgets in souvenir shops in Lebanon, Syria and other countries in the Arab world. But he also faces opposition among the Lebanese, who accuse him of tying their country’s fate to Iran.

Nasrallah is also considered pragmatic and capable of making political compromises.

He has been living in hiding for years, fearing an Israeli assassination, and gives his speeches from secret locations.

How does Hezbollah compare to other Iranian-backed groups?

Hezbollah is the leading paramilitary force in the Arab world, with a robust internal structure and a vast arsenal. Israel estimates it has an arsenal of 150,000 precision-guided missiles.

In recent years, Hezbollah has sent troops to Syria to help fellow Iranian ally President Bashar Assad battle armed opposition groups. It also supported the growth of Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, Yemen and Syria.

Khatib compared Hezbollah to a “big brother” of young Iranian-backed groups that “do not enjoy the same level of infrastructure or discipline.”

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEZBOLLAH AND HAMAS?

Although Hezbollah is bound to Iran by doctrine, its relationship with Hamas is based on pragmatism.

The Palestinian militant group was founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood movement. Political and financial support from Iran and Syria only increased in 2006.

A schism broke out between Hamas and the Iran-backed Axis over the Syrian Civil War, with Hamas supporting Syria’s largely Sunni opposition fighters for a time.

Despite the disagreements over Syria, “relations have improved rapidly over the past five years,” said Qassim Qassir, a Lebanese analyst close to Hezbollah.

Although many top Hamas officials lived in Qatar and Turkey, which supported the Syrian opposition, the group’s return to the Iranian fold put them in a difficult situation.

Some Hamas officials, including second-in-command Saleh al-Arouri, have since moved to Lebanon, where they enjoy the protection of Hezbollah and a presence in Lebanon’s many Palestinian refugee camps.

HOW FAR IS HEZBOLLAH WILLING TO GO TO PROTECT HAMAS?

For Hezbollah, fully participating in the war between Israel and Hamas would risk dragging Lebanon – beset by economic disaster and internal political tensions – into a conflict it cannot afford, fueling domestic opposition to the group.

But staying on the sidelines while Israeli forces take control of the Gaza Strip could jeopardize Hezbollah’s credibility, and a Hamas defeat would be a blow to Iran.

Hezbollah’s steady pressure on Israel’s northern border shows support for Hamas and keeps open the threat of a broader intervention.

Qassir interpreted the message behind Nasrallah’s speech as: “If you don’t want the regional war to spread, then the war (in Gaza) must stop.”

But it is unclear how long Hezbollah can maintain this delicate balancing act, with Israel seemingly determined to crush Hamas and the Palestinian death toll in Gaza surpassing 10,000.

“If Gaza completely collapses and things reach a point where they need to be fully involved, then they are ready,” Qassir said.