Israel and Hezbollah, a powerful Iranian-backed paramilitary group in Lebanon, have been at war for decades, but both sides have stepped up cross-border attacks on each other since the start of the Gaza war.
This week’s deadly attacks in Lebanon, in which explosives were placed in devices carried by Hezbollah fighters, have drawn renewed attention to the long-simmering conflict.
Israel’s defense minister said a “new era” of war was beginning and that “the center of gravity was moving north,” referring to the country’s border with Lebanon. Hezbollah’s leader said the unprecedented attacks “crossed all red lines.”
How we got here:
A “support front” for Gaza: Hezbollah is part of a broader Iranian-led alliance of militant groups spread across Yemen, Syria, Gaza and Iraq that has engaged in intensified clashes with Israel and its allies since the start of the war with Hamas.
The alliance said it would continue to strike Israeli targets as long as the war in Gaza continues, presenting itself as a “support front” for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, as a senior Hezbollah leader described it.
Murder of a key leader: After months of trading blows, tensions escalated when Israel said it killed Hezbollah’s top military commander in a strike in Beirut, Lebanon, in July.
Israel has held commander Fu’ad Shukr responsible for a deadly attack on the Israeli-occupied town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, for which Hezbollah has denied responsibility.
In retaliation, Hezbollah launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israeli targets last August. Israel has denied that any major targets were hit, and no evidence has been made public to contradict this denial.
Displaced residents: Increased cross-border fighting has forced residents of northern Israel and southern Lebanon to flee their homes.
On Tuesday, Israel made the repatriation of tens of thousands of residents of northern Israel to their homes near the border a new war goal. Authorities and residents in the northern region are putting increasing pressure on the Israeli government regarding the necessity of these returns.
More than 100,000 people have been displaced from southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Hezbollah’s arsenal: Hezbollah is considered the most heavily armed non-state group in the world. While it cannot match Israel’s military might, its increasingly sophisticated arsenal allows it to inflict considerable damage.
But Hezbollah has found itself backed into a corner by the latest Israeli attacks, and its credibility as Iran’s best-equipped, best-trained and most disciplined proxy group is now under threat.
