Hezbollah vs Israel: Here is a timeline of major events in the conflict

On Tuesday, Israeli intelligence agencies hit the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in a big way, injuring thousands of its operatives and effectively crippling its communication lines. This is the latest, but definitely not the last, in a conflict that has been going on for well over four decades.

CREDIT: AP

What is Hezbollah?

Hezbollah, which means the “Party of God,” is a Lebanon-based Shia terrorist group that was formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of the country.

Over the years, Hezbollah has emerged as a state within a state and the largest non-state military in the world. Hezbollah is estimated to have as many as 100,000 fighters, including 20,000 active combatants.

Hezbollah vs Israel   

One of the very first acts of Hezbollah was its involvement in the resistance to the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon.

Hezbollah also carried out suicide truck bombings of the US Embassy in Beirut in April 1983, the US Marine barracks in Beirut in October 1983, and the US Embassy annex in Beirut in September 1984, as well as the hijacking of TWA 847 in 1985.

Hezbollah's political influence  

In the 90s, Hezbollah transformed itself into a political entity and soon emerged as the biggest political force in Lebanon, while simultaneously retaining its military wing.

Assassination of Abbas al-Musawi 

In 1992, Israel scored a major victory against Hezbollah after its co-founder and secretary-general Abbas al-Musawi was assassinated.

He was replaced by Hassan Nasrallah, who continues to be the leader of Hezbollah to this date.

Attacks on Jews outside Israel 

In 1994, Hezbollah carried out car bombings at Israel’s London embassy and a Buenos Aires Jewish community centre.

July war

The Hezbollah-Israel conflict took a deadly turn in 2006 when the militia captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid and killed several others. Hezbollah had demanded the release of some of its men in exchange for their release, but Israel responded with a military campaign that went on to be known as the July War. After the end of the five-week military campaign, around 1,200 Lebanese and 158 Israelis were killed.

CREDIT: REUTERS

Suicide bombing in Bulgaria

In 2012, Hezbollah carried out a suicide bombing targeting a bus carrying Israeli tourists in Bulgaria, killing six people.

Hezbollah vs Israel after 2023

Hezbollah also joined the Israel-Hamas conflict that broke out in October 2023, following the unprecedented attacks inside Israel. Hezbollah has been engaging in near-daily rocket attacks on Israel ever since.

CREDIT: REUTERS

On April 1, 2024, an Israeli airstrike near the Iranian embassy in Damascus killed sixteen people, including Hezbollah leader Mohammad Reza Zahedi.

On July 27, Hezbollah claimed that it fired over 100 rockets at four Israeli targets. A rocket attack on a football field in Majdal Shams killed at least 12 people and injured 34 others, including children.

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