Worry dey grow about one all-out war for Middle East afta 12 children and teenagers die on Saturday wen one rocket fall ontop football field for Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Di pikin dem bin dey play for di Arab Druze town of Majdal Shams. One of four towns for di Golan Heights wia about 25,000 members of di Arabic-speaking Druze religious and ethnic group dey live.
Israel don blame Hezbollah for di attack and vow harsh response. Hezbollah deny responsibility for di attack, and warn Israel against attacking am .
Israel bin seize di Golan Heights from Syria during di 1967 war and e dey annexed for 1981.
Di incident on Saturday na di deadliest in and around Israel northern border inside nine months of near daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Wetin be Hezbollah?
Hezbollah na one Iran-backed Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group for Lebanon, wey bin don dey led by Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Di name sef mean Party of God.
Hezbollah bin show wit financial and military help from Iran during di Israeli occupation of Lebanon for di early 1980s, and as one force to defend Lebanon traditionally disempower Shia for di south, although dia ideological roots stretch back to di Shia Islamic revival for Lebanon for 1960s and 1970s.
Afta Israel bin withdraw for 2000, Hezbollah bin resist pressure to disarm and continue to strengthen im military wing, di Islamic Resistance.
Di group also gradually become one key power broker for Lebanon political system – through im loyalty to di Resistance Bloc party – and don effectively gain veto power for di cabinet.
Hezbollah don chop accuse throughout di years wey dem carry out different bombings and plots, wey dey mainly against Israeli and US targets.
Dem dey named “terrorist” organisation by Western states, Israel, Gulf Arab kontries and di Arab League (AL).
One loyal ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Hezbollah bin send thousands of militants to fight for Oga Assad during di Syrian civil war wey bin kick off for 2011 as di gbege increase, prove say dem really wan help pro-goment forces recover ground wey dem lost to rebels, in particular along di mountainous Lebanese border.
Israel frequently dey attack targets for Syria wey get link to Iran and Hezbollah militants, but no really acknowledge dem.
Hezbollah hand for Syria, however, don sharpen some kind tensions for Lebanon.
Na support for di Syrian Shia Alawite president and strong ties wit Iran also see di deepening of hostility from Gulf Arab states, wey Iran main regional rival, Saudi Arabia lead.
Following di Palestinian militant group Hamas surprise attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, wey bin kill at least 1,200 pipo, Hezbollah and Israel don exchange cross-border fire. As Israel launch return air strikes on Gaza, e kill thousands, di group tok say dem “fully ready” to contribute to di fight against Israel.
Hezbollah military, security, and political clout as well as di social services wey dem dey provide don make dia reputation as one state within state, rival goment institutions, and draw strong criticism from rivals. In some ways, dia capabilities now don pass those of di Lebanese army, and dem use beta firepower against Israel for di 2006 war.
Some Lebanese bin reason Hezbollah as threat to di kontri stability, but e dey popular within di Shia community.
Anti-Israel
Hezbollah real origins dey difficult to pinpoint, but im start to show after di Israeli invasion of south Lebanon in response to attacks by Palestinian militants for 1982, wen Shia leaders wey favour militant response break away from di leading Amal movement.
Di new organisation, Islamic Amal, bin get better military and organisational support from Iran Revolutionary Guards wey based for di Bekaa Valley, and show di most popular and effective Shia militias wey go later form Hezbollah.
Di groups bin launch attacks on di Israeli military and dia ally, di South Lebanon Army (SLA), as well as foreign powers for Lebanon.
Di believe na say dem bin dey behind di bombings of di US embassy and US Marine barracks for 1983, wey togeda leave 258 Americans and 58 French servicemen dead, and lead Western peacekeeping forces to withdraw.
For 1985, Hezbollah bin officially announce dia establishment wit one “open letter” dem publish wey identify US and di Soviet Union as Islam principal enemies and call for “cross-out” of Israel, wey dem say dey occupy Muslim lands.
Dem also call for “adoption of di Islamic system on basis of free and direct selection of di pipo, no be di basis of forceful imposition”.
Di 1989 Taif Accord wey bin end Lebanon civil war and call for lay-off of militias bin cause Hezbollah to rebrand im military wing as one “Islamic Resistance” force wey dedicate to end Israeli occupation, dis one allow am to keep im weapons.
Afta di Syrian military bin impose peace on Lebanon for 1990, Hezbollah continue im guerrilla war for south Lebanon, but also begin play one active role for Lebanese politics. For 1992, dem successfully participate for national elections for di first time.
Wen Israeli forces bin finally withdraw for 2000, Hezbollah dey credited wit pushing dem out. Di group bin resist pressure to disarm and maintain im military presence for di south, wit claim as justification of Israeli continued presence for di Shebaa Farms and oda fall-out areas.
For 2006, Hezbollah militants bin launch one cross-border attack wia dem kill eight Israeli soldiers and kidnap two odas, wey trigger big Israeli response.
Israeli warplanes bin bomb Hezbollah strongholds for di South and for Beirut southern suburbs, while Hezbollah bin fire about 4,000 rockets for Israel. More dan 1,125 Lebanese, most of dem civilians, bin die during di 34-day conflict, as well as 119 Israeli soldiers and 45 civilians.
Hezbollah bin survive di war. Although dem since don upgrade and expand dia arsenal and recruit plenti new fighters, e no get any major flare-up along di border area, wey now dey patrolled by UN peacekeepers and di Lebanese army.
Influential
Na 2008, wen Lebanon Western-backed goment bin move to shut down Hezbollah private telecommunications network and remove Beirut airport security chief sake of ties to di group, Hezbollah bin respond by seizing much of di capital and fight rival Sunni groups.
To end di sectarian clashes wey bin leave 81 pipo dead and bring Lebanon to di edge of one new civil war, di goment bin back down and one power-sharing agreement give Hezbollah and im allies di power to veto any cabinet decision.
For 2009 elections, dem win10 seats for parliament and remain for di unity goment.
Later dat year, Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah bin sama new political manifesto wey try to highlight di group “political vision”.
E bin drop di reference to one Islamic republic wey dem find for a1985 manifesto, but maintain one tough line against Israel and di US and say Hezbollah need to keep im weapons.
For 2011, di group and im allies force di collapse of di unity goment wey Saad Hariri, one Saudi-backed Sunni bin lead, wit Hezbollah warning say dem no go stand by as four of dia members dey accused say dem get hand for di 2005 killing of Oga Hariri father Rafik.
For December 2020, Hezbollah member Salim Ayyash dey sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia by di UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon sake of say e get hand for di killing.
Hezbollah and im allies don continue to be part of later goments, wey dey show-off ogbonge influence.