Israel and Hezbollah – a powerful Iranian-backed paramilitary group in Lebanon – have been at war for decades, but the two sides have intensified cross-border attacks on each other since the Gaza war began.
This week’s deadly attacks in Lebanon, in which explosives were planted in devices carried by Hezbollah fighters, have brought the long-running conflict into sharper focus.
Israel’s defense minister said a “new era” of warfare had begun, and that “the center of gravity was moving north,” referring to the country’s border with Lebanon. The Hezbollah leader said the unprecedented attacks had “crossed all red lines.”
How we got here:
“Supportive Front” for Gaza: Hezbollah is part of a larger Iranian-led coalition of militant groups spanning Yemen, Syria, Gaza and Iraq that have been engaged in increasing clashes with Israel and its allies since the war with Hamas began.
The coalition said it would continue to strike Israeli targets as long as the war in Gaza continued, and described itself as a “supportive front” for the Palestinians in the Strip, as one senior Hezbollah leader put it.
Killing of a key leader: After months of tit-for-tat attacks, tensions escalated when Israel said it killed Hezbollah’s top military commander in a strike on Beirut, Lebanon, in July.
Israel held Commander Fuad Shukr responsible for the deadly attack on the occupied town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, a charge Hezbollah denied.
In response, Hezbollah launched hundreds of drones and missiles at targets in Israel in August. Israel denied hitting any significant targets, and no evidence has been published to contradict that denial.
Displaced population: The escalation of fighting across the border has forced people to leave their homes in northern Israel and southern Lebanon.
On Tuesday, Israel set a new war goal: returning tens of thousands of northern Israelis to their homes near the border. Officials and residents from the northern region have been putting increasing pressure on the Israeli government about the need for the return.
More than 100,000 people have been displaced from southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Hezbollah’s arsenal: Hezbollah is believed to be the most heavily armed non-state group in the world. While it is no match for Israel’s military might, the group’s increasingly sophisticated arsenal has the potential to inflict significant damage.
But Hezbollah has been cornered by recent Israeli attacks, and its credibility as Iran’s best-equipped, best-trained, and best-disciplined proxy is now at risk.
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