Lebanese group Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli military positions in the disputed Shebaa Farms on Saturday, as an act of ‘solidarity’ with Palestine.

The area, which straddles the borders of Lebanon and northern Israel, has now become a hotbed of conflict, with Israel responding with a barrage of artillery.

At least two Lebanese civilians have died, according to reports.

Hezbollah has backed Hamas since the start of the latest conflict between Israel and Palestine, which began after Hamas launched a surprise assault from the Gaza strip on October 7.

But until now the Shi’ite Muslim group has not got involved in the fighting.

Hezbollah, viewed as a terrorist group by governments including the US, has a military might much much stronger than Hamas, with some believing its involvement could turn the tide of the war.

Origins

Hezbollah was founded in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and backed by Tehran.

Its aim was to fight Israel forces who had invaded Lebanon during the Lebanon War and occupied much of the predominantly Shi’ite south of the country.

Enlisting people from the Shi’ite communities in Lebanon, it embarked on years of guerrilla warfare before Israel finally left the country in 2000.

Military Power

Hezbollah’s military might grew, and in 2006 they crossed into Israel and kidnapped two soldiers and killed others, prompting a five-week war.

During the conflict Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets into Israel, but Lebanon lost far more people, with 1,200 dying, compared to 158 Israelis, who were mostly soldiers.

Its military power increased even more after invading Syria in 2012 to help President Bashar al-Assad fight mostly Sunni rebels.

The group boasts of precision rockets that can reach all of Israel, and in 2021, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the group had 100,000 fighters.

It receives weapons and money from Iran. According to the US, Iran has provided Lebanon with hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

Regional sway

Hezbollah has strong connections with other Iran-backed groups around the region, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine.

As Saturday’s assault happened, Hezbollah said it was in ‘direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance’.

Hezbollah has also trained Iran-backed groups in Iraq.

Role in Lebanon

Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon is particularly strong partly due to its impressive arsenal of weaponry, but also because many Shi’ites believe the group helps defend the country from Israel.

But there are parties in Lebanon that feel Hezbollah undermines the state and leads Lebanon into conflict.

The group has ministers in government and lawmakers in parliament.

In 2008, a power struggle with Lebanese adversaries backed by the West and Saudi Arabia spiralled into a brief conflict.

Hezbollah fighters took over parts of Beirut after the government vowed to take action against the group’s military communications network.

Hezbollah entered politics more prominently in 2005 after ally Syria withdrew from Lebanon following the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, who symbolised Saudi influence in Lebanon.

A UN-backed court later convicted three Hezbollah members in absentia over the assassination. Hezbollah denies any role, describing the court as a tool of its enemies.

In 2016, the Hezbollah-allied Christian politician Michel Aoun became president. Two years later, Hezbollah and its allies won a parliamentary majority. This majority was lost in 2022, but the group continued to exercise a big sway.

Terrorist designations

Western countries including the US designate Hezbollah a terrorist organisation.

So do US-allied Gulf Arab states including Saudi Arabia. The European Union classifies Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist group, but not its political wing.

Argentina blames Hezbollah and Iran for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires in which 85 people were killed, and for a 1992 attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires that killed 29 people. Both deny responsibility.

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