Hezbollah (Lebanon): Difference between revisions

This war was initiated by Israeli regime with the aim of disarming Hezbollah and rescuing two Zionist military personnel captured during a Hezbollah operation known as "al-Wa'd al-Sadiq" (the True Promise). Hezbollah has also actively engaged in combat against the terrorist group [[ISIS]] in defense of the Syrian government. In addition to its military activities, Hezbollah is involved in various cultural, social, and political endeavors. The Al-Manar TV Network serves as a media outlet affiliated with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah was established in 1982 in response to the occupation of parts of southern Lebanon. Initially operating covertly, Hezbollah worked to regain control of the occupied regions. It was on February 16, 1985, following Israel's withdrawal from Sidon, that Hezbollah publicly declared its ideology and strategy of resisting the Israeli occupation.

[[Subhi al-Tufayli]] was the first elected Secretary General of Hezbollah, assuming the position on November 5, 1989. Prior to his election, Hezbollah operated with a leadership council for a period of seven years. The founding members of Hezbollah included [[Sayyid Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah]], Subhi al-Tufayli, [[Sayyid Abbas al-Musawi]], [[Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah]], [[Naim Qassem]], Hossein Korani, Hussein Khalil, Mohammad Raa'd, Muhammad Fneish, Mohammad Yazbek, and Ibrahim Amin. However, in May 1991, disagreements and criticisms directed towards Subhi al-Tufayli led to his removal from the position of Secretary General. Sayyid Abbas Musawi was subsequently elected as the new Secretary General of Hezbollah. On [[February 16]], 1992, Musawi was assassinated and martyred by Israel. Following his assassination, the Hezbollah council elected [[Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah]] as the new Secretary General who was assasinated by Zionist aggression on the southern suburb of Beirut on 27 september 2024.

Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah (born in 1960) is the third Secretary General of Hezbollah in Lebanon. He served as the executive manager of Hezbollah for a while and was among its founding members. Nasrallah assumed the position of Secretary General in 1992 and has held it till his martyrdom on 27 September 2024. Under his leadership, Hezbollah successfully compelled Israel to withdraw from parts of the occupied territories in southern [[Lebanon]] in 2000 and liberated Lebanese prisoners.

[[Imad Mughniyeh]], also known as al-Hajj Radwan, was a prominent commander of Hezbollah. He held the responsibility of commanding the guard that protected high-ranking Hezbollah officials and was also in charge of overseeing special operations conducted by the organization. Notably, he played a key role in planning and leading the al-Wa'd al-Sadiq (True Promise) operation, and served as a field commander for Hezbollah during the 33-day war against Israel. Imad Mughniyeh was assassinated by Israel in [[Damascus]] on February 12, 2008.

In 1985, Hezbollah made a public and official declaration of its ideology and strategy, which centered around fight against Israel. During its early years, the organization primarily engaged in martyrdom operations targeting Israeli forces. However, as time passed, Hezbollah's strategy evolved. In response to the assassination of their Secretary General at the time, Sayyid Abbas al-Musawi, Hezbollah forces retaliated by launching Katyusha missiles towards Zionist settlements in northern [[Palestine]].

* '''Here are some of the major events that took place between Hezbollah and Israel:'''

On July 25, 1993, Israel launched an attack on Lebanon with the objective of disarming Hezbollah and creating divisions between Hezbollah and the Lebanese population. The aim was to exert pressure on the Lebanese government in order to suppress Hezbollah's resistance activities. However, this attack elicited a response from Hezbollah. On July 31, 1993, Israel and Hezbollah reached an agreement known as the July Memorandum of Understanding. According to this agreement, Hezbollah committed to refraining from launching Katyusha missiles towards the occupied territories of Palestine. In return, Israel agreed to cease its aggressive actions.

On April 11, 1996, Israel initiated a military operation called the Grapes of Wrath, targeting Lebanon. This operation was marked by several significant incidents, including the four murders in Sohmor on the second day, an attack on the Mansouri ambulance on the third day, and the attacks in Nabatiyeh and Qana<ref>The Qana Massacre took place on April 18, 1996, near the village of Qana, in southern Lebanon, when the Israeli Defense Forces fired artillery shells at UN facilities. The artillery fire was launched to cover Israeli special forces after they came under mortar fire from near the compound, radioing in for assistance. Of the 800 Lebanese civilians who took refuge in the compound, 106 were killed and about 116 injured. Four Fijian soldiers from the UN Lebanese Interim Force were also seriously injured. The attack occurred amid heavy fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah during Operation The Grapes of Wrath. A UN investigation later said the Israeli shelling was deliberate, based on video evidence showing an Israeli reconnaissance drone flying over the site before the shelling. The Israeli government initially denied the drone's existence, but said it was on a different mission after being briefed on video evidence.</ref>.<ref>[https://academic-accelerator.com/encyclopedia/qana-massacre Qana Massacre; Encyclopedia, Science News & Research Reviews]</ref> on the seventh day. These attacks resulted in the loss of 25 lives, including 14 members of Hezbollah. The Grapes of Wrath operation lasted for 16 days. However, eventually, both parties reached an agreement known as the April Agreement. Under the April Agreement, Israel committed to refraining from targeting civilians and agreed to exclusively engage resistance forces in its military operations.

After the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, some Hezbollah members, including Mustafa Dirani and 'Abd al-Karim Ubayd, remained imprisoned in Israel. In an effort to secure their release, Hezbollah conducted an operation in the Chebaa farms region of southern Lebanon. On October 7, 2000, they captured three Israeli soldiers and also arrested an Israeli colonel in Beirut. Consequently, a prisoner exchange took place between Israel and Hezbollah. As part of the exchange, Israel released several Lebanese prisoners, along with 400 Palestinian prisoners, and returned the bodies of 59 martyrs. In addition, Israel provided information on the identities of 24 missing individuals and handed over a map indicating the location of landmines along the Lebanese borders. The exchange operation was carried out on January 29-30, 2004.

In 2006, a war broke out between Hezbollah and Israel, which became known as the July War or the 33-day war. Despite its agreement with Hezbollah, Israel failed to release its three prisoners as promised. As a result, in July 2006, Hezbollah conducted the al-Wa'd al-Sadiq (True Promise) operation and captured two Israeli military members. In an attempt to secure the release of its prisoners and disarm Hezbollah, Israel launched an attack on Lebanon, triggering a full-scale war between the two parties. The conflict lasted for 33 days. On the morning of the 34th day, August 14, 2006, a ceasefire was implemented in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

Furthermore, in 2008, following the conclusion of the 33-day war, Hezbollah engaged in negotiations with Israeli regime, facilitated by German intermediaries, to address the issue of remaining Lebanese prisoners. Through these negotiations, Hezbollah successfully secured the release of the remaining Lebanese prisoners held by Israel. In addition, Hezbollah also obtained the bodies of its martyred resistance fighters who had lost their lives during the 33-day war. Furthermore, as part of the agreement, the bodies of other Lebanese and Palestinian martyrs were returned, including Dalal Maghrabi and the 12 members of her group.

Hezbollah's war aimed against Sunni extremists was both declared; protecting Shia shrines in Syria, and undeclared, the latter including keeping supply lines from [[Iran]] open, preserving the Syrian government, and keeping Sunni extremists (al-Nusra Front) from entering Lebanon. Sayed Hasan Nasrallah claims Zionists and Sunni extremists have the same goal of "destroying our peoples and our societies". As a political party with a strong social welfare arm, Hezbollah's leaders have deftly created a political alliance with Maronite Christian factions, secular Druze, and even Shia of the Amal Movement. Lebanese sources indicate that Hezbollah began recruiting Christians, Druze, and Sunnis for the fight against ISIS in late 2014. According to Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah: "This danger does not recognize Shiites, Sunnis, Muslims, Christians or Druze or Yazidis or Arabs or Kurds".<ref>Jews are notably absent from the Hezbollah leader's list of ethnicities under threat, as Hezbollah considers Israel's Jews to be in league with Islamic State terrorists.</ref> The reluctance of ISIS to strike Israel only reinforces Hezbollah's belief that there is cooperation between Israel and the Sunni extremists.

After 2005, Hezbollah became one of the March 8 groups. That year marked significant changes in Lebanon's political landscape following the assassination of Hariri. The March 8 group emerged from a gathering of Hezbollah in Beirut, as it faced opposition regarding its disarming, support of Syria, and resistance against Israel. The March-8 group was an alliance consisting of Hezbollah, Amal Movement, and the Free Patriotic (Christian) Party. Later, other movements joined the alliance, including the Islamic Group of Lebanon, Islamic Unification Movement (Sunni Muslims), and the Democratic Party (Druze). Simultaneously, another alliance called the March 14 group was formed with the support of the US, France, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. The March 14 group aimed to secure the Syrian exit from Lebanon and disarm the resistance movement. Its main advocates included the Future Movement (Sunni Muslims), al-Kataeb Party, and Lebanese Forces (Christian), as well as the Progressive Socialist Party of Lebanon (Druze).

The primary supporters of Hezbollah include Iran, Syria, and Iraq. Additionally, Russia recognizes Hezbollah as a legitimate political and social organization. On the other hand, the United States of America, the Arab League, and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf have designated Hezbollah, or certain factions within it, as a terrorist group. Those who argue against this designation point to Hezbollah's resistance against Israeli occupation and threats, as well as the perceived military shortcomings of the Lebanese army against Israel. They believe that Hezbollah should be considered part of the Lebanese military forces and, therefore, justified in possessing weapons.