Israeli forces shell southern Lebanon border village

Israeli forces shell southern Lebanon border village

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context: Israeli forces shell southern Lebanese village amid border tensions near Syria-Lebanon-Israel junction

More about the news:

• On Thursday, Israeli forces shelled a southern Lebanese border village following explosions in a disputed area where Syria, Lebanon, and Israel borders converge.
• Tensions persist in this region due to Hezbollah’s tents and Israel’s wall construction around a captured village from the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.
• An anonymous Lebanese military official reported a rocket fired toward Israel, met with Israeli retaliation.
• Hezbollah raised concerns about Israel’s wall in Ghajar, a village divided between Lebanon and Israel. Lebanon claims the area belongs to them.
• Recent incidents include a standoff involving an Israeli bulldozer removing plants from the Lebanese side, and protests near the disputed territory.

Who are Hezbollah and how was the group founded:

• Hezbollah means ‘Party of God’,is a Shiite Islamic militant organization in Lebanon, and is known as one of the world’s most heavily armed non-state actors.
• Emerging during the Lebanese Civil War, it formed partly in response to the Palestinian presence and Israeli invasions in southern Lebanon.
• Inspired by Iran’s theocratic government, Hezbollah received financial support and training from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
• This underscores the regional rivalry between Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and Shia-dominated Iran. 
• The group is estimated to receive significant funding from Iran and possesses a diverse arsenal of weaponry, including rockets and missiles.

What are Hezbollah’s aims:

• Hezbollah opposes Israel and Western influence in West Asia.
• It supports the Syrian government and holds political influence in Lebanon.

Why is there worry over Hezbollah potentially escalating the conflict:

• Hezbollah has a history of targeted attacks, including the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing.
• Western governments and Gulf Cooperation Council countries label it as a terrorist organization. 
• Moreover,Hezbollah, has an arsenal of unguided rockets, fought Israel in 2006 and has expanded its rocket force.
• The recent conflict in Israel is influenced by regional dynamics, including Israel’s engagement with West Asian governments and normalization agreements.
• Hamas, which shares similar goals with Hezbollah, opposes these developments.
• Iran supports Palestinian fighters, and Hamas vows to continue its actions against Israel.

Some facts about Lebanon:

• It is a Western Asian nation, sharing borders with Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, with Cyprus situated to its west across the Mediterranean Sea.
• Its location is at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland.
• Beirut is the capital of Lebanon.
• The border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights is disputed by Lebanon in a small area called Shebaa Farms.