Israel and Hezbollah – a powerful Iranian-backed paramilitary group in Lebanon – have been in conflict for decades, but since the start of the Gaza war the two countries have increased their mutual cross-border attacks.
This week’s deadly attacks in Lebanon in which explosive devices were placed in bombs carried by Hezbollah fighters have drawn even greater attention to the long-simmering conflict.
Israel’s defense minister speaks of a “new era” of war and “the center of gravity is shifting north.” He is referring to the country’s border with Lebanon. The Hezbollah leader says the unprecedented attacks have “crossed all red lines.”
How we got here:
A “supporting front” for Gaza: Hezbollah is part of a larger Iranian-led alliance of militant groups in Yemen, Syria, Gaza and Iraq. Since the start of the war with Hamas, it has increasingly clashed with Israel and its allies.
The alliance said it would continue attacking Israeli targets as long as the war in Gaza continued and had reinvented itself as a “supportive front” for Palestinians in Gaza, as a senior Hezbollah leader described it.
Killing an important leader: After months of clashes, tensions escalated when Israel said it had killed Hezbollah’s top military commander in an attack on Beirut, Lebanon, in July.
Israel blamed commander Fu’ad Shukr for a deadly attack on the Israeli-occupied town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights. Hezbollah denied any responsibility.
In retaliation, Hezbollah fired hundreds of drones and missiles at targets in Israel in August. Israel denied that any key targets were hit, and no evidence has been released to refute this denial.
Displaced residents: The increase in cross-border fighting has forced people in both northern Israel and southern Lebanon to flee their homes.
On Tuesday, Israel declared the repatriation of tens of thousands of residents of northern Israel to their homes near the border as its new war goal. Officials and residents of the northern region have been putting increasing pressure on the Israeli government to demand the repatriation be made necessary.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, more than 100,000 people have been displaced from southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s arsenal: Hezbollah is considered the most heavily armed non-state group in the world. While it cannot match Israel’s military power, its increasingly sophisticated arsenal of weapons has the potential to cause significant damage.
But Hezbollah has been cornered by Israel’s recent attacks, and its credibility as Iran’s best-equipped, best-trained and most disciplined proxy is at stake.
