In the midst of the Israel-Hamas conflict, neighboring Lebanon’s Hezbollah has drawn attention after claims that the US has pushed Israel not to start a war with the party behind the scenes. Following Israel’s surprise onslaught on Gaza, Hezbollah declared its support for Hamas and fired rockets at Israel, which replied, killing civilians and journalists. According to The Guardian, Hezbollah, which translates as “God’s Party,” is “one of the most important Islamist movements in the Middle East.” It is a Shiite political party with a strong military component that has earned the moniker “state within a state.”
It has a powerful television channel with 10–15 million people worldwide, as well as a large network of hospitals and schools. Shia clerics created Hezbollah in 1982, the year Israel invaded Lebanon, amid the instability of Lebanon’s 15-year civil war (1975–1990), to oppose Israel and reject Western hegemony in West Asia. It was built with the assistance of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), a main branch of Iran’s armed forces, after Ayatollah Khomeini’s 1979 Iranian Revolution. It is regarded as a forerunner of mass casualty suicide assaults and has been recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union (EU).
While Hezbollah is a Shiite group, Hamas is said to be a Sunni offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood
According to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), following its long-standing alliance with Iran and Syria, it developed into a formidable force after gathering military expertise from participating in Syria’s civil war and decades of conflicts with Israel. Although Hezbollah has stated its allegiance to Hamas, the relationship between the two organizations has not always been smooth due to ideological disagreements. While Hezbollah is a Shiite group, Hamas is said to be a Sunni offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. They also clashed on whether or not to back Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria’s civil war.
Nonetheless, Hezbollah is thought to have assisted Hamas in their attack on Israel. The US has reportedly warned Israel to tread carefully with Hezbollah since an escalation would result in a two-pronged confrontation with Hamas in Gaza. In the worst-case scenario, Iran would back Hezbollah, while the US would come to Israel’s aid. Meanwhile, China and Russia may decide to join the struggle against Israel and the United States. (Klonopin)
Now, Saudi Arabia, which has a mixed relationship with the US, may join the conflict by supporting Hamas. China acted as an icebreaker between Iran and Saudi Arabia earlier this year, urging them to put their disagreements aside. Notably, Hezbollah fought alongside Iran-backed Houthi rebels, Zaydi Shiites, in Yemen against its Sunni government, which was apparently backed by Saudi Arabia.
