Following a hospital bombing in the Gaza Strip that killed hundreds and injured many more, Lebanese Islamic extremist group Hezbollah announced Wednesday (August 18) would be an unprecedented “day of rage.” But who is this group and how is it connected to the conflict between Israel and Hamas?

Lebanese Islamic extremist group declares “day of rage” – Photo: Anwar Amro/AFP/Reproduction/ND

Created in 1982 amid the Lebanese Civil War, Hezbollah is a Shia Muslim political party and militant group based in Lebanon. With alliances with countries such as Iran and Syria and opposition to Israel, the group is distinguished by its resistance to Western influence in the Middle East.

With a track record of carrying out terrorist attacks around the world, the group’s armed forces pose a challenge to Israel, its “longtime enemy,” experts say, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) think tank said.

How did this happen?

Hezbollah was founded by the Revolutionary Guards in 1982, during the Lebanese Civil War, a conflict that lasted from 1975 to 1990. According to Reuters, the group was involved in efforts to export the 1979 Islamic Revolution to the region, as well as fighting Israeli forces. after the invasion of Lebanon in 1982.

Hezbollah recruited Lebanese Shia Muslims, sharing Tehran’s Shia Islamic ideology. Over the years, the group has grown into a heavily armed organization with great influence over the Lebanese state.

Why is Hezbollah against Israel?

Israel is the extremist group’s main target, and its community has been under attack by Hezbollah both at home and abroad for decades.

In 1994, the group was accused of a car bomb attack on a Jewish community center in Argentina, as well as attacks on the Israeli embassy in London.

The main reason why Israel is considered an enemy is the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon in 1978. Despite the official withdrawal of troops from the area in 2000, disputes in the border area of ​​Shiba Farms continued.

In 2006, the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel escalated into a month-long war, during which Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets into Israeli territory. Tensions continued in subsequent years, with attacks in 2019 and 2021.

What role does Hezbollah play in the conflict between Israel and Hamas?

Since the start of the conflict, Hezbollah has fired bombs across the Israel-Lebanon border in a show of what the group’s leaders consider “solidarity” with Hamas.

By demonstrating greater military capabilities, Hezbollah’s increased support for Hamas could spell hardship for Israel and an even more destructive scenario in the region.

What is known is that ties between Hamas and Hezbollah run deep, as well as with Islamic Jihad, another Iran-backed Palestinian group that Israel holds responsible for the attack on a hospital in the Gaza Strip.

On October 7, the day of the first Hamas attack on Israel, Hezbollah said it was “in direct contact with the leadership of the Palestinian resistance.” Since then, Hezbollah has exchanged fire with Israel several times.

*According to Reuters, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and UOL portal.