Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Lebanon is on the edge as Hezbollah leader Syed Hassan Nasrallah will deliver the highly anticipated Friday speech that is going to influence the ongoing conflict.
After Hamas surprise attack on Israeli territories on October 7, Lebanon’s southern border has seen firing between Israel and Hezbollah, an ally of the Palestinian group, stoking fears of a broader conflagration.
What is Hezbollah and How it is Linked to Hamas
The cross-border attacks between the two heated up Thursday, as Israel responded with a “broad assault” after Hezbollah attacked 19 Israeli positions simultaneously, according to AFP. The Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona near the border was hit by rockets fired by the Lebanese group.
In Lebanon, those both for and against expanding the war are holding their breath for Nasrallah’s speech today.
WHAT IS HEZBOLLAH AND WHY WAS IT FORMED?
Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim militant group based in Lebanon where it enjoys the status of being “a state within a state.” It was founded in 1982 during the Lebanese Civil War with the help of Iranian-backed groups. It was driven by its opposition to Israel and its resistance to Western influence in the Middle East. It has been designated as a terrorist group by several countries including the United States.
The group has risen from a shadowy faction to a heavily armed force with major sway over the Lebanese state. The US and some Western nations have designed it a terrorist organisation.
Hezbollah demonstrated its military advances in 2006 during a five-week war with Israel, which erupted after it crossed into Israel, kidnapping two soldiers and killing others. Hezbollah receives financial support as well as weapons and equipment from Iran, and has built up its powerful arsenal since 2006.
WHY IS HEZBOLLAH ATTACKING ISRAEL?
Lebanon’s Hezbollah has been exchanging fire with Israel across the border for days threatening to expand a conflict between Israel and Hamas. In the ongoing conflict, 71 people have been killed on the Lebanese side while 9 people have died on the Israeli side.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has said it is ready to help when the time comes in the war between Israel and Hamas, which is also supported by Tehran.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he was doing what he could to prevent his country from “entering the war” and warned of an escalation spreading in the “entire region”.
Moreover, the border tensions have revived memories of Hezbollah’s devastating 2006 war with Israel that killed more than 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 in Israel.
WHAT HAPPENS IF HEZBOLLAH ENTERS WAR?
Experts believe that Hezbollah has little interest in becoming fully embroiled in a conflict that Israeli officials have threatened could destroy Lebanon. However, others say that the decision to participate in the war lies with Iran, which leads the regional “axis of resistance” against Israel.
Iran’s “axis of resistance” includes armed groups from Syria, Iraq and Yemen, alongside Hezbollah, some of which have attacked Israel in recent weeks.
Amal Saad, a Hezbollah expert at Cardiff University, argued that Hezbollah is not a proxy of Iran, but an ally of Iran and doesn’t need anyone’s permission to intervene.
“Hezbollah has much more experience obviously fighting Israel than Iran does — Iran has not had a direct confrontation with Israel,” Saad said.
In the one month into war, the Shiite armed group has mainly restricted itself to targeting Israeli observation posts, military positions and vehicles near the border as well as drones, using what it says have been anti-tank missiles, guided missiles and even surface-to-air missiles.
(With inputs from agencies)
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