Join the list of those, who believe Hezbollah should be labeled as a terrorist organization worldwide.
Background
Hezbollah emerged as a force in 1982 amidst Lebanon’s civil war. The group, inspired by the ideology of extremist Shia Islam, has carried out countless acts of terror directed at Israelis and the international community since its founding. Together with Iran, it has sought to destabilize the Middle East and serves as one of Israel’s most potent foes.
Hezbollah is a multifaceted terror group that acts in a two-fold capacity: As a militant Islamic organization and as a core component of Lebanon’s political landscape. This duality allows it to exert influence not only through armed action but also through the country’s complex parliamentary structure.
Hassan Nasrallah, who assumed leadership in 1992, is the most well-known face of Hezbollah. Regarded for his charismatic and unwavering demeanor, Nasrallah has played a pivotal role in shaping the group's ideology and strategies, preserving its militant stance, navigating the complexities of Lebanese politics, and maintaining ties with the Islamic Republic in Iran.
Hezbollah's sustenance is closely tied to its alliance with Iran, which provides substantial support and financing. This alliance has not only shaped Hezbollah's terrorist capabilities but also influenced its ideological orientation, as the group aligns itself with Iran's Shia Islamist worldview in the broader geopolitical context of the Middle East.
The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Gulf Cooperation Council (comprising seven Arab states of the Persian Gulf), and Israel are among a growing number of countries that recognize Hezbollah, in its entirety, as a terrorist organization. In April 2024, the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution that called for Hezbollah's political and military wings, as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to be designated as terror organizations. Currently, the European Union only designates Hezbollah's military wing as a terror group.
The 1979 Iranian Revolution triggered the downfall of Iran’s traditional monarchy, under the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and instituted the new Islamic doctrine, under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. This, combined with the shared objective of annihilating Israel and expelling Western powers from Lebanon, formed the ideological bedrock of Hezbollah.
This Shia Islamist tenet, combined with the shared objective of annihilating Israel and expelling Western powers from Lebanon, formed the ideological bedrock of Hezbollah.
In 1985, the organization released its programmatic document in the form of a letter addressed to the “Downtrodden in Lebanon and the World.” According to this document, the Islamic regime’s main enemy was, and still is, the United States, which was charged with using Israel as its “spearhead” to inflict suffering on the Muslims in Lebanon. The organization positioned itself as a force that resisted the actions of Israel and the superpowers (who, at the time, other than the United States, were mainly France and the Soviet Union), which led to oppression throughout the Third World.
Hezbollah justified its use of violence by claiming that “each of us is a combat soldier when the call of jihad demands it”. The organization makes it clear that it opposes any negotiation with Israel and its ultimate objective is to destroy Israel and “liberate Palestine.”
Targeting Israel and Jews Worldwide
1983
U.S. embassy in Beirut. The bombings resulted in the deaths of 63 people, and later that year, the bombing of U.S. and French military barracks, also in Beirut, resulted in 241 American and 58 French fatalities. These attacks signified Hezbollah’s willingness to target foreign entities involved in the Lebanese Civil War.
1992
Despite its origins in Lebanon, Hezbollah has extended its reach across Asia, to Europe, and the Americas. In 1992, the group bombed the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The attack resulted in the deaths of 29 people.
1994
Two years after the embassy bombing, the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) building, a Jewish community center in the same city, was attacked, resulting in the deaths of 85 people, the majority of which were Jewish. Many knowledgeable observers believe that both attacks were the joint work of Hezbollah’s external security organization and Iran.
2006
In July 2006, six years after Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, Hezbollah launched a cross-border raid, killing three Israeli soldiers and capturing two others. Israel responded with a massive air and ground offensive against Hezbollah, known as the Second Lebanese War.
2012
Hezbollah carried out a significant act of terror in 2012 with the bombing of a bus carrying Israeli tourists in vacation destination of Burgas in Bulgaria. The attacks resulted in the deaths of six people and injured more than 30 others. Despite subsequent attempts to target Israelis in locations ranging from Cyprus to Azerbaijan, local intelligence agencies, coordinating with Israel, have prevented similar plots.
October 2023 - 2024
On the morning of October 7, 2023, Shabbat Simchat Torah, Hamas initiated a simultaneous wave of attacks on Israeli civilian communities and military posts near the Gaza border, specifically targeting the Nova music festival in Re’im. The onslaught began with the firing of more than 5,000 rockets from Gaza into Israel, strategically using these barrages as cover while Hamas terrorists breached the border.
Hezbollah, which was reportedly informed of Hamas’ intent just thirty minutes before the attacks began, has initiated attacks against both the Israeli Defense Forces and civilians along Israel’s northern border and has voiced support for Hamas in the wider conflict.
The attacks resulted in the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, with the loss of 1,194 lives, 800 confirmed as civilians. More than 4,830 individuals have sustained injuries, and over 243 men, women, elderly, and children were initially taken hostage. As of August 2024, over 100 hostages, both alive and dead, remain in Gaza.
Hamas terrorists committed heinous acts, including widespread sexual violence and the mutilation of victims’ bodies, complicating the identification of many of those killed.
Regional and Global Expansion
Hezbollah's participation in Syria's civil war beginning in 2012, represented a pivotal transformation in the group’s operational scope. The involvement in broader regional dynamics signified a departure from its traditional focus on Lebanese politics and its long-simmering conflict with Israel.
In a bid to bolster the Assad regime in Syria, Hezbollah deployed thousands of militants to actively engage in the conflict, forming a crucial part of a broader international coalition alongside Iran and Russia. This strategic move not only reinforced Hezbollah's military capabilities but also solidified its role as a key player in shaping the outcomes of conflicts beyond its Lebanese stronghold.
While historically supported and financed by Iran, Hezbollah faced financial strains due to sanctions and regional conflicts. This criminal turn includes activities such as drug trafficking and money laundering, allowing the terrorist group to maintain its operational capacity despite economic constraints.
Preparing for Future Conflicts
Conflict Readiness
Hezbollah has amassed tens of thousands of advanced missiles in Lebanon in preparation for a future conflict with Israel.
The Future of Hezbollah
Hezbollah has lost popular esteem in the Arab world due to its connection to the theocracy in Iran and its implication in the assassination of the former prime minister, Rafik al-Hariri, in 2005 and other terrorist attacks.