Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have reached a critical stage. Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed group that controls southern Lebanon, bordering the north of Israel, and is listed by Australia as a terrorist organisation.
Since October, Hezbollah says it has fired over 2,000 rockets into Israel. Israel has also launched rockets but has not officially confirmed the number.
On Wednesday (local time), Israeli forces killed a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah said it fired hundreds of rockets at military targets in Israel in response.
Global powers including the UN have raised concerns of a wider regional war.
About Hezbollah
Hezbollah is derived from the Arabic term ‘Hizb Allah’, which translates to ‘Party of God’.
The group was established after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, as it was grappling with a civil war. Israel officially withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.
There have been two major conflicts between Hezbollah and Israel in the last 30 years – in 1996 and 2006 – which both ended in ceasefires.
While Hezbollah is based in Lebanon, Iran supports the group in the form of training, funding, and arms.
Hezbollah’s manifesto (public declaration) calls for the destruction of Israel and the creation of an Iranian-like Islamic state in Lebanon.
It has been responsible for a number of attacks against Israel and its western allies, including a 1983 suicide bombing targeting U.S. and French troops in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, which left 305 people dead, and a 1994 bombing on a Jewish cultural centre in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people.
Israel-Hamas war
On 7 October, Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people. Hamas, which Australia lists as a terrorist organisation, captured about 240 hostages. 120 remain captive today.
Since then, Israel has declared war and has invaded Gaza, causing a humanitarian crisis in the region.
At least 37,953 Palestinians have been killed since October, according to data cited by the UN.
Response
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Shortly after Hamas’ 7 October attack, Hezbollah declared: “Our souls are with you. Our history and guns and our rockets are with you.” It’s since fired around 2,000 drones and missiles into Israel.
In June, Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander. In response, Hezbollah said it would “increase the intensity, strength, quantity and quality of our attacks”.
In the immediate aftermath, missiles fired by Hezbollah caused bushfires in northern Israel, burning at least 3,500 acres of forest.
On Wednesday, the(IDF) killed another senior Hezbollah commander in a drone strike in southern Lebanon. The IDF said he was one of “the most significant Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon.”
Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets and missiles in response this week.
Since border tensions increased in October, more than 400 people have been killed in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters, according to data cited by the UN. 25 people have been killed in Israel, mostly soldiers.
Escalation
Last month, both Israel and Hezbollah dialled up their rhetoric. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israeli soldiers would be diverted from Gaza to the Lebanon border.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said if Lebanon goes to war, “the resistance will fight”.
Israeli foreign ministersaid: “In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be severely hit.”
Global response
Global bodies and governments are concerned about the potential of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Last month, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged both Israel and Hezbollah to back down.
“One rash move – one miscalculation – could trigger a catastrophe that goes far beyond the border, and frankly, beyond imagination.”
The White House also said it wants to avoid a further escalation, and said it will “continue to help Israel defend itself”.
