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1 1 (October 1, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/govequj0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con ressional flese rch Servc fo~ rung I Ierj I lived in ~ m co 914 Updated October 1, 2024 Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah: Conflict and Escalation A day after Hamas (a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, or FTO) led October 7, 2023, attacks against Israel that began their ongoing war, Lebanese Hezbollah (another FTO) started shooting rockets and missiles across Lebanon's border into Israel in a show of solidarity with Hamas. Since then, Hezbollah and Israel have regularly exchanged fire across the border. Iran appears to regard Hezbollah as its most capable partner in its axis of resistance versus Israel. Debate persists about the degree to which Hezbollah acts independently or as Iran's proxy. Amid fighting after October 7, some 60,000 Israeli and 95,000 Lebanese residents evacuated the border area, with displacement in Israel at least partly due to concerns about a possible October 7-style attack from Hezbollah. Esca ating Conflict In July and August 2024, attacks by both sides escalated. A rocket attributed to Hezbollah killed 12 young people in the Golan Heights, Israel killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in response, and the two sides engaged in a major exchange of fire. In September, a series of operations claimed by or attributed to Israel took a heavy toll on Hezbollah leadership and highlighted Israeli intelligence and military capabilities. On September 16, Israel's cabinet added a goal of returning evacuated Israelis to its official war objectives. Operations since then include: * The explosion of hundreds of electronic devices apparently used by Hezbollah members on September 17-18; those explosions killed dozens and wounded thousands (including some civilians), while injuring the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon. * A September 20 airstrike in Beirut that killed Ibrahim Aqil, a commander of the group's elite Radwan Force, and other senior leaders. * Israeli airstrikes on hundreds of missiles, launchers, and other targets across Lebanon on September 23, which reportedly killed over 500 Lebanese, including civilians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel's intent to change the security balance by eliminating senior figures, terrorists and missiles. These and other attacks have displaced as many as one million Lebanese. Then, on September 27, Israeli airstrikes in Beirut targeted Hezbollah's headquarters, killing its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and other senior leaders. Nasrallah had led Hezbollah for 32 years, and had become one of the most prominent leaders in the Middle East in helping the group acquire significant military and political power in Lebanon while supporting Iran. His death raises questions about Hezbollah succession and capabilities and possible responses by Iran, Hezbollah, or other armed groups. As of October 1, Israel's military said it had begun limited, localized, and targeted ground raids into southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, with air and artillery support. An unnamed Israeli official reportedly said that Israel does not intend to occupy southern Lebanon, but create a security perimeter for Lebanese or UN forces and facilitate the return home of Israeli evacuees. While supporting the dismantling of Hezbollah attack infrastructure, U.S. officials have reportedly urged Israel to avoid a major ground invasion, and warned that-as with previous Israeli operations in Lebanon in 1982 and 2006-conflict could become deadlier and more protracted than Israel anticipates. Israel-Hezboah: Selected Histor cal Events 1982- Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon and related U.S. and 1985 French military involvement trigger resistance from some factions in Lebanon's ongoing civil war. Elements from Lebanon's Shia community-including some responsible for fatal attacks on U.S. and French installations-establish Hezbollah with help from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 1985 Israeli military withdraws from central Lebanon, but maintains a zone of control in predominantly Shia- populated southern Lebanon with a Lebanese partner force. Hezbollah becomes the main node of resistance to the Israeli presence. 1992- Hezbollah bombings of Israel's embassy (1992) and a 1994 jewish community center (1994) in Argentina kill 29 and 85 people, respectively. 1996 Hezbollah attacks on Israel and Israeli forces trigger the 17-day Israeli Operation Grapes of Wrath, which kills more than 200 Lebanese. 2000 Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon, leading Hezbollah to claim victory. Hezbollah maintains that Israel still occupies Lebanese territory in disputed parts of the tri-border (Israel-Lebanon-Syria) area. 2006 Israel and Hezbollah engage in a 34-day war after a fatal Hezbollah attack and hostage-taking on an Israeli military position. In the war, some 160 Israelis and 1,200 Lebanese are killed. After the war, UN Security Council Resolution 1701 calls for all non-Lebanese army forces to withdraw north of the Litani River; Hezbollah does not comply and starts to rearm. 2011- Hezbollah helps Iran defend regime of Bashar al Asad Present in the Syrian civil war. Territorial links from Iran to Lebanon through Iraq and Syria facilitate greater Iranian weapons supply (including precision-guided missiles) to Hezbollah, provoking regular Israeli military strikes in Syria starting around 2012 to prevent or delay these transfers. 2023- Hezbollah commences cross-border fire with Israel Present after outbreak of Israel-Hamas war; as of early October 2024, around 1,500 Lebanese and over 30 Israelis have reportedly been killed in various attacks.

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