What is Hezbollah - the Iran-backed group supporting Hamas amid war with Israel?

Lebanon's Hezbollah group has been supporting the Hamas militants in the war with Israel in which over 4,000 people have died so far on both sides. Ever since the conflict began on October 7, the Iran-backed group has been exchanging fire with Israel across the border for the past nine days - threatening to expand a conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Read more: Hezbollah destroys Israeli surveillance cameras along Lebanon’s border

On Saturday, Hezbollah said it is “fully prepared” to join its Palestinian ally Hamas in the war “when the time is right”. “We, as Hezbollah, are contributing to the confrontation and will (continue) to contribute to it within our vision and plan…We are fully prepared, and when the time comes for action, we will take it,” Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem said.

However, Israel has said it has no interest in waging war with Hezbollah, and that if the group restrained itself then Israel would also keep the situation along the border as it is.

What is Hezbollah and what is its connection with Iran?

1. In 1982, Iran's Revolutionary Guards founded Hezbollah - amid the Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war. The group was a part of Iran's effort to export its 1979 Islamic Revolution around the region and fight Israeli forces after their 1982 invasion of Lebanon. While earlier it was a shadow faction, the group has risen to a heavily armed force with major sway over the Lebanese state.
2. Hezbollah has been supporting other Iranian-backed groups across the Middle East and has trained armed groups in Iraq. According to Saudi Arabia, Hezbollah also fought in support of the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen, however, the group has denied it.
3. Several Western countries including the United States designate the group as a terrorist organisation. The US holds Hezbollah responsible for a suicide bombing that destroyed US Marine headquarters in Beirut in 1983 - killing 241 servicemen. Meanwhile, the European Union classifies Hezbollah's military wing as a terrorist group, but not its political wing.
4. Reportedly, Iran has been providing Hezbollah with weapons and money. According to the US, Iran has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars annually in recent years to the group. In 2021, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the group had 100,000 fighters, reported Reuters.
5. Hezbollah also has deep ties with Hamas which controls Gaza and Islamic Jihad - another Palestinian faction backed by Iran.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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