Formed: April 9, 1983. 

Disbanded: Group is active. 

First Attack: April 9, 1983: A group called Islamic Jihad, which would later become Hezbollah, claimed responsibility for the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, which killed sixty-three. The attack brought global attention to the group for the first time (63 killed, unknown wounded).[1] 

Last Attack: June 2018: A senior Hezbollah field officer executed 23 Syrian soldiers near the town of Hirbat Ghazala. The soldiers had refused to cross “Death Bridge” where they would have been vulnerable to rebel fire (23 killed, 0 wounded).[2]

Executive Summary

Hezbollah is a Shia military and political group based in Lebanon. Hezbollah became an established militant group during the Israeli Occupation of Southern Lebanon in 1982. In its 1985 manifesto, Hezbollah professed its goals were to destroy Israel and expel Western influences from Lebanon and the wider Middle East. In 1992, Hezbollah transitioned from acting solely as a militant group fighting against Israel to an established political party in Lebanon. Today, Hezbollah’s political and military wings are both active within the country and take part in elections. Hezbollah has a close relationship with both the Assad and Iranian regimes. Iran provided critical support for Hezbollah’s foundation and remains the group’s primary patron. During the Syrian Civil War, Hezbollah acted as one of Assad’s greatest allies and provided thousands of troops for the regime.

Group Narrative

Hezbollah is a Shia political and militant organization based in Lebanon. In its early days, the organization was a loose collection of underground terrorist cells. Over the last thirty years, Hezbollah has evolved into a hybrid organization woven into the structure of Lebanese society. It provides social services and actively participates in politics, while also engaging in international terrorist attacks and regional military operations.[3]

When Lebanon gained its independence in 1943, Shiites became an economically and politically marginalized group.[4] After the Lebanese Civil War broke out in 1975, several Islamic revivalist movements fueled by mounting Shia discontent took root in Lebanon. The Amal movement – from which Hezbollah would one day split – emerged during this time period and became the most prominent Shia militia during the Lebanese Civil War. The group’s objectives were to gain greater respect for Lebanon’s Shia population and to increase the share of governmental resources allocated to the southern, Shia-dominated region of Lebanon.[5]

In June 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon to counter Palestinian militants in this southern region.[6] Some Shiites initially supported the Israeli forces because of the security they provided against Palestinian militants. However, popular opinion against Israel began to turn as civilian death tolls rose.[7] Several incidents eroded support for Israeli forces. In September 1982, the Israeli Defense Force was complicit in allowing a Christian Lebanese militia to massacre at least 800 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps.[8] Later in 1983, an Israeli patrol accidentally crashed through a Shia festival; when observers began throwing stones, the patrol responded with gunshots and grenades, killing several in the crowd.[9]

Following these incidents and amidst growing anti-Israeli sentiment, several Shiite Amal movement leaders broke away from the militia. Led by Husain al-Musawi, these militants formed a new organization espousing a more militant response to the occupation, which they named Islamic Amal.[10] The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was essential in supporting the formation of the Islamic Amal. Several thousand members of the IRGC were dispatched to support Islamic Amal, and the financial backing of Iran strengthened the group.[11] With the support of Iran, Islamic Amal quickly gained momentum by recruiting of members from other revolutionary Shia organizations, such as the Muslim Student Union and the Dawa Party of Lebanon.[12] The group first attracted international attention with the 1983 bombings of the U.S. Embassy and the American and French military barracks in Beirut.[13]

In 1985, Islamic Amal published a manifesto under the new name of Hezbollah. It remains unclear whether a group of Islamic Amal members split away from the lager group to form Hezbollah or whether Islamic Amal was simply an earlier iteration of Hezbollah.[14] In the manifesto, Hezbollah outlined several of its key goals: to destroy Israel, to expel Western influences from Lebanon and the wider Middle East, and to combat enemies within Lebanon, particularly the Phalanges Party. Hezbollah asserted that an Islamic state was the only legitimate option for the Lebanese government. The manifesto also denied Israel’s right to exist.[15]

Until 1985, Hezbollah, Amal, and Palestinian guerrillas took part in resistance operations against Israel in Southern Lebanon. From 1984 to the Israeli withdrawal in 1985, the vast majority of attacks against Israeli forces were carried out by Hezbollah.[16] These attacks boosted the image of Hezbollah as the most prominent actor in compelling Israeli's retreat.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Hezbollah pursued its goal of combatting Israel and the West through militant means. Hezbollah carried out twelve suicide attacks against Israeli forces and their allies during the occupation, in addition to a number of other military assaults.[17] The group’s attacks killed an average of twenty-five Israeli soldiers per year throughout the occupation.[18] Groups linked to Hezbollah also kidnapped several high-profile foreigners throughout the 1980s, including American Journalist Terry Anderson and U.S. Marine Lt. Colonel William R. Higgins.[19]

During this time, Hezbollah cultivated Shia support and became the Amal movement’s main competitor for the leadership of the Shia community. While Hezbollah was the strategic ally of Iran, Amal was heavily tied to the Assad regime in Syria. Hezbollah’s more militant, anti-Israel stance led to bloody clashes with Amal from 1985 to 1989.[20] The 1988 kidnapping of Lt. Colonel Higgins, for example, sparked conflict between the two groups. Hezbollah orchestrated the kidnapping, while Amal opposed the operation. It was in favor of maintaining a stable relationship with the U.N., which would be complicated by the kidnaping of American servicemen. Amal attempted and failed to free Higgins, resulting in renewed clashes between Hezbollah and Amal. 

From 1985 through the 1990s, Hezbollah also maintained an active global presence. A specific branch of Hezbollah, the External Security Organization (also known as the Islamic Jihad Organization or the External Services Organization), was responsible for planning and executing attacks outside of Lebanon. In 1985, members of this branch hijacked TWA Flight 847 from Cairo to Athens. Hezbollah militants held hostages from the flight for weeks and killed one passenger to draw attention to the Lebanese prisoners held in Israel.[21] After the Israeli government released 300 Lebanese prisoners, the hijackers freed the remaining hostages.[22] In March 1992, Hezbollah operatives carried out a truck bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing twenty-nine and wounding hundreds. In July 1994, the group was accused of bombing the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association, which killed nearly 100 and wounded more than 200. Hezbollah denied responsibility for the attack.[23] In June 1996, the group bombed the American Khobar Towers housing complex in Saudi Arabia, killing 19.[24]

In addition to Hezbollah’s militant agenda both abroad and at home, the group also invested in the social landscape of southern Lebanon. Shia groups in the region had a history of providing social services to the local population. Hezbollah was among the most professional and extensive providers of these services, handling projects from infrastructure construction to health care. After the civil war, Hezbollah continued its day-to-day social service efforts and provided assistance in times of crises. For example, the group rebuilt the homes and businesses of Christian families returning to southern Beirut after the war.[25] Hezbollah also led the reconstruction process after a 1996 Israeli bombing campaign in southern Lebanon, reportedly rebuilding 5,000 homes and repairing roads and infrastructure. The group claimed to have provided compensation to 2,300 farmers in the area.[26]

In 1989, Hezbollah embraced a shift in ideology and tactics. The 1989 Taif Agreement, which ended the Lebanese Civil War, opened the door for Hezbollah to join the Lebanese political process as an official party. The transition from militancy to politics was favored both by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyid Abbas al Musawi and by Iranian president Hashimi Rafsanjani.[27] Hezbollah competed in its first Lebanese national elections in 1992 and won eight seats in Parliament. Hezbollah also participated in national elections in 1996, 2000, 2005, 2009, and 2018.

Throughout its time as a political party, Hezbollah has often been at odds with the sitting Lebanese government. After the 2005 elections, Hezbollah strongly opposed the American- and Saudi-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. In December 2006, in an attempt to force the sitting government to resign, it led the opposition in a sit-in that resulted in eighteen months of political deadlock.[28] Tensions between the group and national government erupted again in May 2008, when the government announced a plan to shut down Hezbollah’s private telecommunications network. Violence broke out between government supporters and Hezbollah on the streets of Beirut, while the Lebanese army largely sat out the conflict. Within days, Hezbollah and its supporters had taken over parts of Beirut. Speculation that the violence would lead to a coup was quelled when the Arab League brokered a settlement between the government and Hezbollah.[29] The settlement, called the Doha Agreement, granted Hezbollah veto power in the government and pledged that no political group would use weapons for within-country disputes.[30]

Though Hezbollah had become a mainstream political party, it also continued to carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli forces.[31] Israel’s departure in 2000 was widely attributed to Hezbollah, increasing the group’s popularity amongst the Lebanese population.[32]  After a period of relative calm from 2000 to 2006, the group kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight others in July 2006. The conflict resulted in a month-long war with Israel.[33] The war killed both civilians and combatants; 164 Israelis died, and over 1,125 Lebanese perished, most of whom were civilians.[34] Supporters lauded Hezbollah’s endurance and supposed victory against Israel, while others accused the organization of instigating an unnecessary and highly destructive war.[35]

Following the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, Hezbollah began supporting anti-American forces in the region by establishing Unit 3800. According to American intelligence, Unit 3800 was a specialized branch of Hezbollah which exclusively trained and supported Iraqi Shia militant groups targeting American forces.[36] Unit 3800 also supplied Shia militants with funds and weapons. These Hezbollah-sponsored groups were instrumental in planning several attacks in Iraq, including the 2007 attack on the Karbala Joint Coordination Center which caused deaths of five Americans.[37] Later in 2014, Hezbollah also provided resources to Iraqi groups in their fight against the Islamic State.[38]

In 2011, Hezbollah began sending military advisors to aid the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s increasingly bloody civil war. In June 2013, Hezbollah officials confirmed that the organization had also deployed combat forces to fight alongside Assad’s troops, Russian forces, and other allied Shia organizations. Hezbollah entered the war with two primary objectives. The first was to protect the Assad regime. Assad has served as a vital regional ally to Hezbollah, and the group leadership believed that maintaining Assad’s hold over Syria was necessary to prevent Israeli forces from re-entering Lebanon.[39] Another critical goal included preserving and expanding group’s access to Syrian territory, as this land provided routes for transporting Iranian missile parts and weapons.[40]

At first, Hezbollah forces in Syria were mainly concentrated in the city of al-Qusayr on the border of Syria and Lebanon. However, by 2015, Hezbollah operations had spread to other areas of Syria, including in the northwest cities of Idlib and Aleppo, in the south near Daraa, and even in the central and eastern parts of the country.[41] Hezbollah played a critical role in the Aleppo Offensive in late 2016, assisting Assad forces in retaking control of the city.[42] Beyond sending Lebanese militants to fight in the Syrian Civil War, Hezbollah also trained and organized Syrian Shia militias and recruited thousands of foreign fighters.[43] The Assad regime regained some of its influence in Syria, and it reasserted control over many Shia militias by 2017.[44]

Throughout the war, Hezbollah fought alongside both Iranian and Russian troops as well as other pro-Assad militant groups. Hezbollah militias were considered the most professional and effective fighting force in the country. The group’s most common opponents were the Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham, and elements of the Free Syrian Army.[45] After 2018, fighting subsided in most areas of Syria. Hezbollah leaders decided to bring much of its personnel home. However, a number of Hezbollah troops remained stationed near Damascus, in Deir al-Zour, and throughout southern Syria.[46]

Though Hezbollah militias were very effective in the Syrian Civil War, they suffered serious casualties. Of the 7,000-10,000 Hezbollah troops deployed to Syria, 1,600-2,000 were estimated to have died in action.[47] Based on these estimates, more Hezbollah fighters died in Syria than during the eighteen year Israeli occupation of Lebanon.[48] Additionally, several top Hezbollah commanders, such as Abu Jaafar and Ali Fayyad, were killed while serving in Syria.[49]

In addition to these causalities, Hezbollah’s reputation also suffered from the group’s participation in the Syrian Civil War. Hezbollah was once considered one of the most popular sub-state Arab movements in the region, winning support from both Shiites and Sunnis. However, Hezbollah’s support for the Assad regime has alienated much of the Middle East’s Sunni population.[50]  The group’s participation in the war has helped to fuel the radicalization of Sunni populations in Tripoli and near the northern Lebanon-Syria border.[51] This growing unpopularity is believed to have been a key factor behind the decisions by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in the spring of 2016.[52]

Despite its consequences, the war in Syria greatly increased Hezbollah’s fighting capabilities and weapons stockpile. The group has received significant amounts of high tech military equipment and weaponry from Russia and Iran.[53] Hezbollah militants have also gained experience fighting other non-state actors, such as the Islamic State, and operating in dense urban environments.[54] Additionally, reports suggest that the group’s recruiting capabilities in Lebanon have expanded significantly since 2011 as a result of Hezbollah’s participation in the civil war.[55]

Since 2014, Hezbollah has also sent militants and resources to support Houthi insurgents in the Yemeni Civil War. Initially, Hezbollah primary activities in the civil war were transferring funds and training insurgents.[56] As the war progressed, Hezbollah began sending militants to the region to support the Houthi militants. In 2018, eight Hezbollah members were killed in northwest Yemen, a stronghold of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.[57]

During the Syrian Civil War, Hezbollah’s attention was largely diverted away from Israel. In 2018, Assad forces regained control of the Syrian-administered portion of the Golan Heights, a region bordering Israeli-occupied territory. After Assad’s victory, Hezbollah began establishing cells and militias in the region.[58] The group has located substantial weapons and rockets in Golan Heights neighborhoods in close proximity to Israeli-controlled territory. It has also recruited hundreds of local Syrian men to form new militias.[59]

Since 2019, Hezbollah has faced severe financial constraints. American sanctions on Iran – Hezbollah’s primary patron – considerably affected Iran’s ability to finance the group. As a result, Hezbollah has shut many offices around the country and cut the pay of its employees and militants.[60] The continuation of Americans sanctions may create more serious obstacles for Hezbollah in the future.

[1] "Terrorist Attacks against Americans, 1979-1988." Frontline: Target America. PBS, n.d. Web. 26 June 2014; "Incident 198304180001." Global Terrorism Database. University of Maryland, n.d. Web. 26 June 2014.

[2] Julian, Hana Levi. “Hezbollah Executes 23 Syrian Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight” The Jewish Press, 19 Jun. 2018.

[3] Azani, Eitan. "The Hybrid Terrorist Organization: Hezbollah as a Case Study." Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 36.11 (2013): 899-916. Web.

[4] Hamzeh, Ahmad Nizar. In the Path of Hizbullah. Syracuse University Press, 2004. Print.

[5] Harik, Judith Palmer. Hezbollah – The Changing Face of Terrorism, I.B. Tauris & Co, 2004. Print

[6] Goldberg, Jeffrey. “In the Party of God: Are Terrorists in Lebanon Preparing for a Larger Goal?” The New Yorker, Oct. 14, 2002.

[7] Norton, Augustus R. Hezbollah: A Short History. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2007. 33. Print.

[8] Israel. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Historical Documents. 104 Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Events at the Refugee Camps in Beirut. N.p., 8 Feb. 1983. Web. 13 Mar. 2015; Anziska, Seth. "A Preventable Massacre." The New York Times. N.p., 16 Sept. 2012. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.

[9] Norton, Augustus R. Hezbollah: A Short History. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2007. 66. Print.

[10] “Terrorist Organization Profile: Hizballah.” National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, University of Maryland. Accessed 26 June 2014. https://www.start.umd.edu/baad/database/hizballah-2012; "Profile: Lebanon's Hezbollah." BBC News. 4 Dec. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2015; Addis, Casey, and Christopher Blanchard. CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Hezbollah: Background and Issues for Congress. Rep. Congressional Research Service, 3 Jan. 2011: 7. Web. 8 Feb. 2015; Deeb, Marius. Syria’s Terrorist War on Lebanon and the Peace Process. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

[11] Hudson, Rex. “The Sociology and Psychology of Terrorism: Who Becomes a Terrorist and Why?” Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 17 Aug. 2006.

[12] Levitt, Matthew. Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God. London: C. Hurst and, 2013. 12. Print.

[13] Worth, Robert. "Hezbollah’s Rise Amid Chaos." New York Times. N.p., 15 Jan. 2011. Web. 26 June 2014; Addis, Casey, and Christopher Blanchard. CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Hezbollah: Background and Issues for Congress. Rep. Congressional Research Service, 3 Jan. 2011: 7-8. Web. 8 Feb. 2015.

[14] Norton, Augustus R. Hezbollah: A Short History. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2007. 34-45. Print.

[15] "An Open Letter: The Hizballah Program." Primary Sources. Council on Foreign Relations, 01 Jan. 1988. Web. 27 June 2014.

[16]  Mahmud A Faksh, “The Shi'a community of Lebanon: a new assertive political force,” Journal of South Asia and Middle Eastern Studies, XIV (3), Spring 1991, p 51, fn. 61.

[17] Norton, Augustus R. Hezbollah: A Short History. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2007. 80. Print.

[18] Norton, Augustus R. Hezbollah: A Short History. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2007. 90. Print.

[19] Specter, Michael. "Terry Anderson Receives Hero's Welcome at A.P." The New York Times. 10 Dec. 1991. Web. 2 Apr. 2015.

[20] Mahmud A Faksh, 'The Shi'a community of Lebanon: a new assertive political force', Journal of South Asia and Middle Eastern Studies, XIV (3), Spring 1991.

[21] “Terrorist Organization Profile: Hizballah.” National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, University of Maryland. Accessed 26 June 2014. https://www.start.umd.edu/baad/database/hizballah-2012; Thomas Collelo, ed. Lebanon: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1987; Norton, Augustus R. Hezbollah: A Short History. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2007. 42. Print; Levitt, Matthew. Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God. London: C. Hurst and, 2013. 13 and 222. Print.

[22] Pearson, Erica. The Sage Encyclopedia of Terrorism. Ed. Gus Martin. Second ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications, 2011. 595-6. Print.

[23] United States. U.S. Department of State. Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1992. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 June 2014; United States. U.S. Department of State. Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1994. N.p., Apr. 1995. Web. 27 June 2014.

[24] Leonnig, Carol D. "Iran Held Liable In Khobar Attack." Washington Post. N.p., 23 Dec. 2006. Web. 27 June 2014; "Incident 199606250006." Global Terrorism Database. University of Maryland, n.d. Web. 27 June 2014.

[25] Cammett, Melani. "Habitat for Hezbollah." Habitat for Hezbollah Comments. Foreign Policy, 17 Aug. 2006. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

[26] Flanigan, Shawn Teresa, and Mounah Abdel-Samad. "Hezbollah's Social Jihad: Nonprofits As Resistance Organizations." Middle East Policy 16.2 (2009): 126. Wiley Online Library. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.

[27] Hamzeh, Nizar. “Lebanon's Hizbullah: from Islamic Revolution to Parliamentary Accommodation.” Third World Quarterly, vol. 14, no. 2, 1993. American University of Beirut.

[28] Worth, Robert, and Nada Bakri. "Deal for Lebanese Factions Leaves Hezbollah Stronger." The New York Times. 21 May 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2015; Shadid, Anthony. "In Lebanon, Saniora Stiffens His Resistance / Prime Minister Rallies His Backers, Mostly Sunnis, against Hezbollah and Its Allies." SFGate. San Fransisco Chronicle, 15 Dec. 2006. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

[29] Worth, Robert, and Nada Bakri. "Hezbollah Seizes Swath of Beirut From U.S.-Backed Lebanon Government." The New York Times. 9 May 2008. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

[30] "Lebanon Rivals Agree Crisis Deal." BBC News. BBC, 21 May 2008. Web. 26 June 2014; Worth, Robert F., and Nada Bakri. "Deal for Lebanese Factions Leaves Hezbollah Stronger." The New York Times. N.p., 21 May 2008. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

[31] Norton, Augustus R. Hezbollah: A Short History. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2007. 90. Print.

[32] Worth, Robert. "Hezbollah’s Rise Amid Chaos." New York Times. N.p., 15 Jan. 2011. Web. 26 June 2014; “Terrorist Organization Profile: Hizballah.” National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, University of Maryland. Accessed 26 June 2014. https://www.start.umd.edu/baad/database/hizballah-2012

[33] “Terrorist Organization Profile: Hizballah.” National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, University of Maryland. Accessed 26 June 2014. https://www.start.umd.edu/baad/database/hizballah-2012.

[34] "Profile: Lebanon's Hezbollah Movement." BBC News. 4 Dec. 2013. Web. 9 Apr. 2015.

[35] "Who Are Hezbollah?" BBC News. BBC, 07 Apr. 2010. Web. 26 June 2014; "Profile: Lebanon's Hezbollah." BBC News. N.p., 4 Dec. 2013. Web. 27 June 2014.

[36] Levitt, Matthew and Nadav Pollak. “Hezbollah in Iraq: A Little Help Can Go a Long War.” The Washington Institute, 25 Jun. 2014

[37] Levitt, Matthew and Nadav Pollak. “Hezbollah in Iraq: A Little Help Can Go a Long War.” The Washington Institute, 25 Jun. 2014

[38] Wyer, Sam. “The Resurgence of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq.” Middle East Security Report 7, Institute for the Study of War, December 2012. Web. 30 July 2015; Samaha, Nour. “Hezbollah Is ‘Stronger Than Ever.’” Foreign Policy, 1 June 2015. Web. 20 April 2016.

[39] Jones, Seth G. and Markusen, Maxwell B. “The Escalating Conflict with Hezbollah in Syria” Center for Strategic and International Studies. Jun. 2018

[40] Jones, Seth G. and Markusen, Maxwell B. “The Escalating Conflict with Hezbollah in Syria” Center for Strategic and International Studies. Jun. 2018

[41] De Luce, Dan. “Syrian War Takes Rising Toll on Hezbollah.” Foreign Policy, 9 July 2015. Web. 25 April 2016.

[42] Perry, Tom, et al. “Hezbollah, Other Shi'ite Allies Helped Assad Win in Aleppo.” Reuters, 14 Dec. 2016.

[43] Ali, Mohanad Hage. “Defining the Syria-Hezbollah Relationship.” Carnegie Middle East Center, 29 Mar. 2019.

[44] Ali, Mohanad Hage. “Defining the Syria-Hezbollah Relationship.” Carnegie Middle East Center, 29 Mar. 2019.

[45] Samaha, Nour. “Hezbollah Is ‘Stronger Than Ever.’” Foreign Policy, 1 June 2015. Web. 20 April 2016; “Eight Hezbollah fighters killed in Aleppo clashes over weekend.” The Daily Star Lebanon, 4 April 2016. Web. 20 April 2016; De Luce, Dan. “Syrian War Takes Rising Toll on Hezbollah.” Foreign Policy, 9 July 2015. Web. 25 April 2016.

[46] Kajjo, Sirwan. “Hezbollah Leader: We Have Reduced our Military Presence in Syria.” VOA News, 14 Jul. 2019

[47] Chulov, Martin. “Censured by Britain, Hezbollah is bigger than ever in Beirut” The Guardian, 02 Mar. 2019

Jones, Seth G. and Markusen, Maxwell B. “The Escalating Conflict with Hezbollah in Syria” Center for Strategic and International Studies. Jun. 2018

[48] Clarke, Colin P., and Chad C. Serena. “Hezbollah Is Winning the War in Syria.” The National Interest, The Center for the National Interest, 30 Jan. 2017

[49] “Hezbollah Leader ‘Abu Jaafar’ Killed in Syria.” Al Arabiya English, 5 April 2016.

[50] Samaha, Nour. “Hezbollah Is ‘Stronger Than Ever.’” Foreign Policy, 1 June 2015. Web. 20 April 2016.

[51] Anderson, Sulome. “Hezbollah Is the Real Winner of the Battle of Aleppo.” Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2017

[52] Nader, Sami. “Can Hezbollah withstand Saudis’ wrath?” Al-Monitor, 23 March 2016. Web. 20 April 2016; Karami, Arash. “OIC conference begins with Iran-Saudi spat.” Al-Monitor, 14 April 2016. Web. 25 April 2016; “Hezbollah lambastes OIC over terrorist group label.” The Daily Star Lebanon, 18 April 2016. Web. 25 20 April 2016.

[53] Samaha, Nour. “Hezbollah’s Death Valley.” Foreign Policy, 2 March 2015. Web. 20 April 2016; Wood, L. Todd. “Hezbollah acquires advance Russian air-defense systems.” 8 April 2016. Web. 20 April 2016.

[54] Clarke, Colin P., and Chad C. Serena. “Hezbollah Is Winning the War in Syria.” The National Interest, The Center for the National Interest, 30 Jan. 2017

[55] George, Susannah. "This Is Not Your Father’s Hezbollah." Foreign Policy. 15 Jan. 2015. Web. 19 Jan. 2015. <http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/01/15/this-is-not-your-fathers-hezbollah/…;.

[56] Levitt, Matthew and Nadav Pollak. “Hezbollah in Iraq: A Little Help Can Go a Long War.” The Washington Institute, 25 Jun. 2014

[57] Riyadh, Aden. “Eight Hezbollah fighters killed in Yemen.” The Daily Star, 26 Jun. 2018

[58] Kubovich, Yaniv. “Hezbollah Entrenching Itself in Syrian Golan, Establishing Terror Infrastructure, Israeli Army Says.” Haaretz, 13 Mar. 2019

[59] Kubovich, Yaniv. “Hezbollah Entrenching Itself in Syrian Golan, Establishing Terror Infrastructure, Israeli Army Says.” Haaretz, 13 Mar. 2019

[60] Ghaddar, Hanin. “U.S. Sanctions are Hurting Hezbollah.” The Washington Institute, 06 Mar. 2019

Disclaimer: These are some selected major attacks in the militant organization's history. It is not a comprehensive listing but captures some of the most famous attacks or turning points during the campaign.

Hezbollah is known for its attention-grabbing attacks worldwide, but authorities have foiled a number of Hezbollah operations across the globe. A plan to attack the Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan was stopped before it reached fruition, as was a 2008 plan to target Israeli tourists and ships in the Suez Canal. Other disrupted plots may be unknown to the public.[1]

November 1982: Hezbollah member Ahmad Qasir carried out a truck bombing against an Israeli headquarters in Tyre, killing at least 75 Israelis and fourteen Arab prisoners (89+ killed, unknown wounded).[2]

April 19, 1983: A suicide bombing on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut killed 63 people. The attack was attributed to militants of the Islamic Jihad, an early alias of Hezbollah (63 killed, unknown wounded).[3]

October 23 1983: Hezbollah carried out a suicide bombing on French and American military barracks in Beirut, killing 241 American and 58 French servicemen.[4]While it never claimed responsibility, analysts typically agree that Hezbollah carried out the attack.[5]The attack prompted President Reagan to withdraw all U.S. Marines from Lebanon.[6](299 killed, unknown wounded)

June 14, 1985: Hezbollah members hijacked TWA flight 847, holding hostages for weeks. The group killed one hostage before ultimately freed the rest in exchange for the release of 300 Lebanese prisoners in Israel (1 killed, unknown wounded).[7]

March 17, 1992: Hezbollah operatives carried out a truck bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, killing twenty-nine and wounding 242 (29 killed, 242 wounded).[8]

July 18, 1994: Hezbollah was implicated in the bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association, which killed 85 people and wounded more than 200. The group denied responsibility (85 killed, 200+ wounded).[9]

June 25, 1996: Hezbollah bombed the American Khobar Towers housing complex in Saudi Arabia, killing 19 (19 killed, unknown wounded).[10

February 14, 2005: In 2011, the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon indicted four members of Hezbollah for the February 2005 car bomb assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri. The attack also killed 20 others (21 killed, unknown wounded).[11]

July 12, 2006: Hezbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed eight more, sparking a month-long war with Israel (8 killed, unknown wounded)[12]

January 2007: In January 2007, a Shia militant group attacked the Karbala Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Iraq, killing five American soldiers. The United States claims that Hezbollah helped plan and provide resources for the attack. (5 killed, unknown wounded).[13]

May 2008: Hezbollah took over parts of Beirut after the government called for the group to disarm, giving rise to street violence and causing over 60 deaths.[14]The government then entered negotiations with Hezbollah, and the resulting agreement gave Hezbollah veto power in the national cabinet (60 killed, unknown wounded).[15]

May 2011: Hezbollah carried out two attacks against UN Interim Forces in Lebanon in late May 2011 (0 killed, 11 wounded).[16]

July 18, 2012: Hezbollah’s international wing bombed an Israeli tour bus in Bulgaria, killing five Israelis and the Bulgarian bus driver. This was the first successful attack in a campaign to increase global operations beginning around 2008. Hezbollah denies responsibility for the bombing (6 killed, unknown wounded).[17]

May 29, 2013: Hezbollah collaborated with and led the Syrian Army in their attack on al-Qusayr, a rebel stronghold. This was the group’s first major activity in the Syrian Civil War after months of rumored involvement. Hezbollah and the Syrian Army were victorious, marking a turning point in the war in which Assad began to regain control of key strategic territory (casualties unknown).[18]

January 28, 2015: Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli soldiers in the disputed Har Dov area between Lebanon and Syria, killing two. In a separate border incident on the same day between Israel and Hezbollah, a UN Interim Force member was killed (3 killed, 7+ wounded).[19]

May 2015: During the final two weeks of May 2015, Hezbollah forces were engaged in heavy fighting against Jabhat al-Nusra and Islamic State forces across the Qalamoun mountain range in western Syria. By early June, Hezbollah had recaptured much of the mountain range and reopened a path from Lebanon into Syria (casualties unknown).[20]

April 2, 2016: Hezbollah and Syrian government forces clashed with Syrian rebel troops belonging to Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al-Sham, and the Free Syrian Army near the village of Tal al-Ais outside of Aleppo. Eight Hezbollah troops were killed in addition to 25 pro-Assad forces and 18 rebels (51 killed, unknown wounded).[21]

November 2017: Hezbollah led an offensive against the Islamic State in Syria’s Deir Ezzor province, inflicting heavy civilian casualties. Hezbollah fought alongside Iran-sponsored Iraqi Shia militias supported by Russian airstrikes (50+ killed, unknown wounded).[22]

February-April 2018: Hezbollah and Syrian forces launched an assault on Ghouta, Syria. Hezbollah reportedly sent at least 3,000 troops to fight, at least 100 of which were killed. As of March 2018, 1,100 civilians have been killed in the fighting (1,200+ killed, unknown wounded).[23]

June 2018: A senior Hezbollah field officer executed 23 Syrian soldiers near the town of Hirbat Ghazala. The soldiers had refused to cross “Death Bridge” where they would have been vulnerable to rebel fire (23 killed, 0 wounded).[24]

[1]"Hizballah." Terrorist Groups. National Counterterrorism Center. Web. 9 Apr. 2015.

[2]Norton, Augustus R. Hezbollah: A Short History. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2007. 80 Print.

[3]"Terrorist Attacks against Americans, 1979-1988." Frontline: Target America. PBS, n.d. Web. 26 June 2014; "Incident 198304180001." Global Terrorism Database. University of Maryland, n.d. Web. 26 June 2014.

[4]Worth, Robert. "Hezbollah’s Rise Amid Chaos." New York Times. N.p., 15 Jan. 2011. Web. 26 June 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/weekinreview/16worth.html&gt;; "Incident 198310230007." Global Terrorism Database. University of Maryland, n.d. Web. 26 June 2014; "Incident 198310230008." Global Terrorism Database. University of Maryland, n.d. Web. 26 June 2014.

[5]Azani, Eitan. "The Hybrid Terrorist Organization: Hezbollah as a Case Study." Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 36.11 (2013): 906. Web; "Terrorist Attacks against Americans, 1979-1988." Frontline: Target America. PBS, n.d. Web. 26 June 2014.

[6]Masters, Johnathan, and Zachary Laub. "Hezbollah." Backgrounders. Council on Foreign Relations, 3 Jan. 2014. Web. 24 June 2014.

[7]“Terrorist Organization Profile: Hizballah.” National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, University of Maryland. Accessed 26 June 2014. https://www.start.umd.edu/baad/database/hizballah-2012; Pearson, Erica. The Sage Encyclopedia of Terrorism. Ed. Gus Martin. Second ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE Publications, 2011. 595-6. Print.

[8]United States. U.S. Department of State. Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1992. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 June 2014.

[9]United States. U.S. Department of State. Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1994. N.p., Apr. 1995. Web. 27 June 2014; Barrionuevo, Alexei. "Inquiry on 1994 Blast at Argentina Jewish Center Gets New Life." The New York Times. 17 July 2009. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

[10]Leonnig, Carol D. "Iran Held Liable In Khobar Attack." Washington Post. N.p., 23 Dec. 2006. Web. 27 June 2014; "Incident 199606250006." Global Terrorism Database. University of Maryland, n.d. Web. 27 June 2014.

[11]"UN Tribunal Releases Hariri Indictment." Al Jazeera English. 17 Aug. 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2015; Bergman, Ronen. "The Hezbollah Connection." The New York Times. 14 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

[12]“Terrorist Organization Profile: Hizballah.” National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, University of Maryland. Accessed 26 June 2014. https://www.start.umd.edu/baad/database/hizballah-2012

[13]“Maliki Government's Whitewashing of Hezbollah” The Washington Institute. 20 November, 2012.

[14]United States. U.S. Department of State. Bureau of Counterterrorism. Country Report on Terrorism 2009. N.p., 5 Aug. 2010. Web. 27 June 2014.

[15]"Lebanon Rivals Agree Crisis Deal." BBC News. BBC, 21 May 2008. Web. 26 June 2014.

[16]United States. U.S. Department of State. Bureau of Counterterrorism. Country Report on Terrorism 2017. N.p., 19 Sep. 2018.

[17]Levitt, Matthew. "Hizb Allah Resurrected: The Party of God's Return to Tradecraft." Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2015; Kulish, Nicholas, Eric Schmitt, and Matthew Brunwasser. "Bulgaria Implicates Hezbollah in July Attack on Israelis." The New York Times. N.p., 05 Feb. 2013. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

[18]Blanford, Nicholas. "The Battle for Qusayr: How the Syrian Regime and Hizb Allah Tipped the Balance." CTC Sentinel 6.8 (2013): 18-22. Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point. Web. 25 June 2014; Sullivan, Marisa. "Hezbollah in Syria." Middle East Security Report 19 (Apr. 2014): n. pag. Institute for the Study of War. Web. 26 June 2014; Lebanon’s Hizbollah Turns Eastward to Syria. Publication. International Crisis Group, 27 May 2014. Web. 25 June 2014.

[19]Levs, Josh. "2 Israeli Soldiers, Peacekeeper Killed in Israel-Hezbollah Fighting - CNN.com." CNN. 28 Jan. 2015. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

[20]Samaha, Nour. “Hezbollah Is ‘Stronger Than Ever.’” Foreign Policy, 1 June 2015. Web. 20 April 2016.

[21]“Eight Hezbollah fighters killed in Aleppo clashes over weekend.” The Daily Star Lebanon, 4 April 2016. Web. 20 April 2016.

[22]“Hezbollah-led offensive stalls in ‘last city inSyria.”Middle East Eye, 13 Nov. 2017

[23]Perry, Smadar. “Hezbollah forces participating in Gouta massacre.” Ynetnews, 03 Dec. 2018

[24]Julian, Hana Levi. “Hezbollah Executes 23 Syrian Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight” The Jewish Press, 19 Jun. 2018.