Sunday, September 8, 2024

Hezbollah, Israel and di Golan Heights: Wetin dey happun and why? – BBC News Pidgin

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One deadly strike for one playing field for di Israeli-occupied Golan Heights don sharply escalate fears of a new war for di region.

Israel say di Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group dey behind di attack, though di group don deny am.

Druze community
Wetin we call dis foto, Di attack for Majdal Shams kill 12 pikins and young pipo from di minority Druze community

Wetin happun for di Golan Heights attack?

For di evening of Saturday 27 July, one blast hit one playing field for di town of Majdal Shams, and e kill 12 children and young pipo from di minority Druze community.

Na di deadliest incident in or around Israel border with Lebanon since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah escalate for October.

Di strike, wit di young victims, bin cause outrage and shock for Israel and around di world.

Israel say na Hezbollah carry out di attack wit one Iranian-made rocket, wey dem fire from a short distance away for Lebanon. Di US also say na Hezbollah get di blame.

Hezbollah strongly deny involvement.

Hezbollah fighters
Wetin we call dis foto, Hezbollah get tens of thousands of fighters

Wetin be Hezbollah?

Hezbollah na one heavily armed militant and political movement wey dey based in Lebanon – Israel northern neighbour.

Dia military wing na one of di most powerful forces for di region, wey dey equipped wit up to 200,000 missiles and rockets, as well as attack drones. E dey separate from di Lebanese army, and e dey much stronger.

Hezbollah also dey politically influential for di Lebanese goment.

Di movement dey follow di Shia branch of Islam and dem dey financed, equipped and trained by Iran, di dominant Shia power for di Middle East.

Hezbollah and dia supporters consider say dem be legitimate resistance movement against Israel, wey dem claim still dey occupy part of Lebanese territory. Hezbollah na strong supporter of Hamas and di Palestinians and dem reject Israel right to exist.

Di movement dey banned as a terrorist organisation by Western states, Israel, Gulf Arab kontris and di Arab League

Wetin be Golan Heights and why Israel dey dia?

Di Golan Heights na rocky plateau for south-west Syria, wey extend towards north-east Israel.

For di 1967 Middle East war, Israel capture about 1,200 km sq (about 460 square miles) of di Golan Heights, from wia Syria bin attack dem.

Israel annex di area for 1981, for one move wey no dey recognised by di vast majority of di international community. Di Trump administration bin break wit decades of US policy to recognise Israeli sovereignty ova di occupied Golan Heights for 2019.

Syria say di land always belong to dem and dem vow to recova di territory, while Israel say di heights dey crucial for dia defence and e go remain for dia hands forever.

About 20,000 Jewish settlers dey live on di Golan Heights, wey also be home to Israeli military bases and listening posts. Di settlements dey considered to dey illegal under international law, though Israel dey dispute dis one.

Golan Heights Map
Wetin we call dis foto, Map wey show Golan Heights Lebanon Israel border

Who be di Druze?

Di Druze pipo na one Arabic-speaking ethnic and religious group wey mostly live for Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and Syria. Part of di community don live on di Golan Heights for centuries.

Dose wey dey on Golan Heights go from Syrian to Israeli rule for June 1967, wen Israel bin occupy most of am. Majdal Shams na di largest of four Druze-majority towns dia.

Israel offer citizenship to all of di Golan Height residents, though many of dem choose to retain dia allegiance to Syria.

About 20% of di approximately 21,000 Druze wey dey live dia today don accept or inherit Israeli citizenship. Dose wey don keep Syrian citizenship also get Israeli residency status, wit most of di same rights as Israeli nationals apart from di right to vote.

Beyond di occupied Golan Heights, e get about 110,000 Druze wey be full Israeli citizens. Dem be di largest non-Jewish community wey dey serve di Israel Defense Forces (IDF), as part of di kontri mandatory national service.

E get about a million Druze in di world, though estimates dey different. Dia faith na offshoot of a branch of Shia Islam but dia own na distinct religion wit dia own set of practices and beliefs.

Why e be say Hezbollah fit fire Golan Heights?

Hezbollah bin fire Israeli targets di day after Israel bin dey attacked by Hamas for di south on 7 October. Hezbollah say dem bin dey act in solidarity with di Palestinians.

Since den, di two sides don exchange fire on a regular basis, and dis don force thousands of pipo for Lebanon and Israel to run away from dia homes.

Israel security officials say di rocket wey kill di youngsters na part of a barrage wey bin strike several locations on di occupied Golan Heights. Dat one follow one Israeli strike wey kill four Hezbollah fighters for south Lebanon.

Most Hezbollah attacks since 8 October don hit northern Israel, wit fewer strikes on di Golan Heights. Dem don, though, repeatedly target Israeli military positions on part of di Golan Heights called di Shebaa Farms/Mount Dov, just a few miles from Majdal Shams.

Israel position for Golan Heights
Wetin we call dis foto, Israel get military positions on parts of di Golan Heights called di Shebaa Farms/ Mount Dov

Hezbollah fit don calculate say di international reaction to attacking an area wey dey considered to dey under Israeli occupation go dey relatively muted, while keeping up pressure on di Israeli goment and military as dem dey fight war for Gaza.

Wetin all dis get to do wit Hamas and di war for Gaza?

Hezbollah dey support Hamas, wey dey at war wit Israel since 7 October, wen Hamas gunmen launch one unprecedented attack on Israel, and kill about 1,200 pipo and take 251 odas back to Gaza as hostages.

Hezbollah open up a limited second front for north Israel di next day and di two sides don dey exchange fire eva since.

Both Hamas and Hezbollah dey backed by Iran (although Hamas na Sunni Muslim group and Hezbollah na Shia). Both na part of wetin Iran dey call “axis of resistance”, a loose alliance of like-minded, Iran-backed groups across di Middle East, wey dey act against Israel and Israel key ally, di US, for di region.

Hezbollah no dey directly involved for di war in Gaza and dem say dem go stop to fire at Israel if and wen ceasefire dey between Israel and Hamas.

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