Hezbollah (Lebanon): Difference between revisions

In 1985, Hezbollah made a public and official declaration of its ideology and strategy, which centred around the fight against the Zionist regime. 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]].

On July 25, 1993, the Zionist regime launched an attack on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah and create divisions between Hezbollah and the Lebanese population. The aim was to exert pressure on the Lebanese government to suppress Hezbollah's resistance activities. However, this attack elicited a response from Hezbollah. On July 31, 1993, the Israeli regime 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, the Israeli regime agreed to cease its aggressive actions.

On April 11, 1996, the Israeli regime 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 Israeli regime's 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, the Israeli regime committed to refraining from targeting civilians and agreed to engage resistance forces in its military operations exclusively.

Hezbollah carried out Operation Ansariya on September 5, 1992, in response to an Israeli marine commando aggression in Lebanese territory. During the operation, 17 Israeli commandos were killed or injured by Hezbollah forces.

After the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, some Hezbollah members, including Mustafa Dirani and 'Abd al-Karim Ubayd, remained imprisoned in Israel. 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 the Israeli regime and Hezbollah. As part of the exchange, the Zionist regime released several Lebanese prisoners, along with 400 Palestinian prisoners, and returned the bodies of 59 martyrs. In addition, the Israeli government 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 the Israeli regime, which became known as the July War or the 33-day war. Despite its agreement with Hezbollah, the Israeli regime 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, the Israeli regime 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 the 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 the Israeli regime. 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 support for Hamas and the Palestinian people intensified the conflict with the Zionist regime. According to the Al-Alam TV channel, during the 133 days following the Al-Aqsa Storm, Hezbollah carried out more than 1,038 operations in defence of Palestine and Hamas against the Zionist regime. On the other hand, the Zionist army assassinated several Hezbollah members and commanders through numerous terrorist attacks.

According to the Tasnim news agency, Lebanon's Hezbollah announced the martyrdom of 316 of its fighters in defence of Palestine from the time of the Al-Aqsa Storm operation to June 2024 (approximately nine months).

On September 17 and 18, the Zionist regime killed and injured nearly three thousand Hezbollah members and Lebanese civilians by detonating wireless communication devices (pager explosions). The Secretary-General of Hezbollah stated in his speech after this incident that the Lebanese Front would not cease until the attacks on Gaza stopped. Additionally, on September 27, the Israeli regime in another terroristic action, assassinated Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the highest official of Hezbollah, by attacking Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut.