Why are Israel and Hezbollah fighting?

Fuad Shukr, a senior commander of Hezbollah, was killed in a rocket attack by Israel on Beirut, the capital of Lebanon last month. Hezbollah says that it attacked Israel to avenge his murder. Hezbollah fired more than 320 drones and rockets at 11 Israeli military bases on Sunday. Hezbollah called it a "first stage" attack.

It is said that most of the drones and rockets fired by Hizbullah were destroyed in the sky by the Israeli army jets. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said that Hezbollah fired more than 150 rockets from Lebanon into Israeli territory and that the rockets were thwarted by the 'Iron Dome' missile defense system. _{Israeli army}

A state of emergency has been declared in Israel for 48 hours after the Hezbollah attack, and the Israeli army has launched an offensive in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. IDF spokesman Daniel Hegari stated that the attack was aimed at Hizbullah in order to defend against a large-scale attack on them. The Israeli army claims that it attacked more than 200 targets and destroyed thousands of rocket launching sites.

is a Shia Muslim organization based in Lebanon - Hezbollah. The Lebanese political party and paramilitary group Hezbollah literally means "Party of God". In the 1980s, Hezbollah emerged from Iran's financial and military support to use it against Israel. Because of this, there are frequent wars between the two parties. _{Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah}

During the civil war in the 1980s, Israeli forces took control of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is the main political party in Lebanon, which has been competing in elections since 1992. Since then, Hezbollah has carried out heavy attacks on American and Israeli forces in Lebanon.

On May 24, 2000, Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon. Hezbollah says Israel is forced to leave Lebanon because of its attacks. With Israel leaving Lebanon, the pressure on Hezbollah to disarm increased . But ignoring it, Hezbollah continued to strengthen its military organization 'Islamic Resistance'.

Since then, Hezbollah, which has deployed thousands of fighters and a large missile stockpile in southern Lebanon, has been challenging the Israeli presence in the disputed border area. Hezbollah gradually became an important force in Lebanese politics and was able to exercise privileges in the cabinet. Recently, Hezbollah has been attacking Americans and Israel in particular. Western countries including America, Israel, Gulf-Arab countries and the Arab League have declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

In 2006, Hezbollah attacked Israeli land from the border. 8 soldiers of Israel were killed during the attack Two soldiers were taken hostage by Hezbollah. After that, angry Israel launched a fierce attack on South Lebanon to eliminate Hezbollah.

Israeli warplanes carried out extensive bombing of southern Lebanon and the outskirts of Beirut, where Hezbollah has a strong hold. In response, Hezbollah fired about 4,000 rockets. During the 34 days of fighting, 1100 people were killed in Lebanon. On the Israeli side, 1 hundred and 19 soldiers and 45 civilians were killed. After the Israeli attack, Hezbollah recruited a large number of fighters and also managed to acquire new and modern weapons.

The Lebanese government, backed by Western countries, shut down Hezbollah's private telecommunications network in 2008. In addition, Hezbollah took over most of Beirut after the head of security at the Beirut airport was fired for alleged ties to Hezbollah and fought rival Sunni groups. _Hezbollah

After 81 people lost their lives, the government backed down to prevent communal riots and agreed to share power . After the agreement, Hizbullah was given privileges in the cabinet. After winning 10 seats in the 2009 elections, Hezbollah participated in the unity government . Since then, Hezbollah's influence on Lebanese politics has been strong . Hezbollah has earned the reputation of a 'state within a state' in Lebanon due to the services it provides, along with its political, security and military influence. However, some Lebanese leaders consider Hezbollah to be a factor in the country's instability.

Hezbollah, a determined partner of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, sent thousands of fighters during the civil war there. In particular, Hezbollah is said to have played a significant role in helping the pro-government forces in the mountainous areas bordering Lebanon. Israel has been attacking bases in Syria that are believed to be linked to Iran and Hezbollah. But Israel denies that it is involved in such attacks . Hezbollah's involvement in the Syrian conflict is said to have increased sectarian tensions in Lebanon.

Lately, Hezbollah has also come forward in the conflict after the unexpected attack on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7. More than 1,200 Israelis were killed in the October attack. The Israeli army then launched an offensive against the Palestinian rebel group Hamas. After the Israeli attack, Hezbollah said that it is ready to help in the fight against Israel.

Since 1992, Hezbollah has been led by Hassan Nasrallah. His role in establishing Hizbullah as a political as well as a military organization is remarkable. Nasrallah also has a very good relationship with Iranian leader Imam Ali Khomeini. Iran's first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, appointed him as the Iranian representative in Lebanon in 1981. Since then, he has been the Iranian representative in Lebanon. Nasrallah has not been seen in public for years due to fears of being assassinated by Israel. But he is very respected within the Hezbollah organization. _{Israeli army}

After Sunday's attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the attack on Hezbollah was "not the end of the story". He claims that his country's army destroyed thousands of short-range rockets aimed at Israeli soil in Sunday's attack. Speaking at the national security meeting of the cabinet in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu said that he has adopted a policy of responding to those who hurt him by hurting him.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has also said that his country does not want a full-scale war. He says that Israel is taking steps to protect its citizens and geography. However, he said that Israel will take steps based on the developments. The US Department of Defense also expressed its support for the measures taken by Israel for defense, while Hamas responded that Hezbollah's attack on Israel was justified.

Although there is a risk of a big war between the two sides, it is seen that Israel will be restrained for the time being . Sami Nader of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs says that although there is a possibility of a full-scale war between Hezbollah and Israel with the latest incident, both sides are trying to avoid it. _{Hezbollah. Photos: AP/AFP/Reuters}

Statements by the Israeli prime minister, foreign minister and Hezbollah have added strength to Nade's statement. In order to prevent Hizbullah from becoming more aggressive, Netanyahu announced that "Israel is ready to take other measures if necessary". Due to Israel's ongoing war with Hamas and the upcoming US presidential election in November, Israel does not seem to be aggressive immediately.

If Israel starts a war, there is no way the US can stay without helping the main partner in the Middle East . However, the American administration believes that it will be productive for the upcoming presidential election. Because of this, analysts say that the Joe Biden administration is creating pressure on Israel to remain restrained. In addition, Hezbollah's statement that the "first phase" attack is over seems to mean that it will not attack Israel for the time being .

(with the help of agencies)