澳门历史开奖记录

Published in , 17 October 2023.
Written by Dr Julie Norman.

As Israel prepares for a听听against Hamas in Gaza, risks of an escalating regional conflict loom large. The most critical additional threat to Israel is from Hezbollah, the militant group and political party based across Israel鈥檚 northern border in Lebanon.

听补苍诲听听are both backed by Iran and see weakening Israel as their primary raison d鈥檈tre. However, the two groups are not the same. Their differences will likely influence their actions 鈥� and Israel鈥檚 鈥� in the days and weeks to come.

Unlike Hamas, Hezbollah has, to date, not gone to war purely for the Palestinian cause. That听. Hezbollah has not yet fully entered the current conflict, but the group has听听with Israel, across the northern border with Lebanon. Meanwhile, Iran has said that an expansion of the war may be 鈥溾��.

What is Hezbollah?

Named the 鈥溾��,听听bills itself as a Shia resistance movement. Its听听is focused on expelling western powers from the Middle East and on听听Israel鈥檚 right to exist.

The group was founded in 1982 鈥� in the middle of the 15-year Lebanese civil war 鈥� after Israel invaded Lebanon in retaliation for attacks perpetrated by Lebanon-based Palestinian factions. It was quickly backed by Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which supplied funding, weapons and training in an effort to expand Iranian听听in Arab states.

Hezbollah鈥檚 military force continued to develop after the Lebanese civil war came to an end in 1990, despite most other factions disarming. The group continued to focus on 鈥溾�� Lebanon from Israel, and it engaged in years of guerrilla warfare against Israeli forces occupying southern Lebanon until Israel鈥檚 withdrawal in 2000. Hezbollah then largely focused its operations on retaking the disputed border area of听听for Lebanon.

In 2006, Hezbollah engaged in a five-week war with Israel in an attempt to听听rather than with an aim to liberate Palestine. That conflict killed over听, mostly civilians.

From 2011, during the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah鈥檚 power grew further as its forces assisted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Iran, against mostly Sunni rebels. In 2021, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the group had听听fighters (though other听听range between 25,000 and 50,000). It boasts a sophisticated military arsenal equipped with precision rockets and drones.

The group has also functioned as a political party in Lebanon and holds significant听, often described as a 鈥�.鈥� Eight members were first听听to the Lebanese parliament in 1992, and in 2018, a Hezbollah-led coalition formed a government.

Hezbollah retained its 13 seats at the 2022 election but the coalition lost its majority and the country currently has no听. Other Lebanese parties accuse Hezbollah of paralysing and听听the state and of contributing to Lebanon鈥檚 persistent instability.

What is Hamas?

鈥淗amas鈥�, which translates literally as 鈥渮eal,鈥� is听听for the 鈥淚slamic resistance movement鈥�. The group was founded in 1987, in Gaza, as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, a prominent Sunni group based in Egypt.

Emerging during what鈥檚 known as the first intifada or uprising of Palestinians against Israeli occupation,听听quickly adopted the principle of armed resistance and called for the annihilation of Israel.

Palestinian politics shifted significantly after 1993鈥檚听, a series of agreements negotiated between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) with the aim of establishing a comprehensive peace agreement.

Opposed to the peace process, Hamas鈥檚 armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, established itself as the primary force of armed听听against Israel. It launched a series of suicide bomb attacks that continued through the early years of the second intifada (2000-2005), before shifting to听听as a primary tactic.

Like Hezbollah, Hamas operates as a political party. It won parliamentary elections in 2006, and in 2007, it gained control of the Gaza Strip in a bloody听听with rival party Fatah that left over 100 dead. Hamas has controlled Gaza ever since, showing little tolerance for political opposition. They have never held elections, and political opponents and critics are frequently arrested with听听of torture.

Over this time, Hamas鈥檚 armed wing has become increasingly sophisticated. Its arsenal now comprises thousands of rockets, including听.

How are Hamas and Hezbollah different?

Hamas has increasingly received funding, weapons and training from Iran, but it is not in听听to the same degree as Hezbollah, which is backed almost exclusively by听听and takes its directives from the Islamic Republic.

What鈥檚 more, as a Sunni organisation, Hamas does not share the Shia religious link to Iran that characterises Hezbollah and most of Iran鈥檚 proxies. As a result, while Hamas no doubt benefits from Iran鈥檚 patronage, it tends to operate more independently than Hezbollah.

In contrast, Hamas has听听in the past from Turkey and Qatar, among others, and operates with relative autonomy. The group was also long at odds with Iran over their opposing stances in听.

Right now, this is very much a war between Israel and Hamas. Hezbollah remains, however, a threat to Israel. If activated by Iran, its full involvement would rapidly change the course of the conflict and likely open up a regional war.

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