Israel’s Supreme Court on June 25 ruled unanimously that the military must begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men for military service, a decision that could lead to the collapse of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition as Israel continues to wage war in Gaza.

The court ruled that in the absence of a law that distinguishes between Jewish seminary students and other draftees, Israel’s compulsory military service system applies to the ultra-Orthodox like any other citizens.

Under longstanding arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men have been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men and women. These exemptions have long been a source of anger among the secular public, a divide that has widened during the eight-month-old war, as the military has called up tens of thousands of soldiers and says it needs all the manpower it can get. Over 600 soldiers have been killed.

Politically powerful ultra-Orthodox parties, key partners in Netanyahu’s governing coalition, oppose any change in the current system. If the exemptions are ended, they could bolt the coalition, causing the government to collapse and leading to new elections.

During arguments, government lawyers told the court that forcing ultra-Orthodox men to enlist would “tear Israeli society apart.”

The court decision comes at a sensitive time, as the war in Gaza drags on into its ninth month and the number of dead soldiers continues to mount.

The court found that the state was carrying out “invalid selective enforcement, which represents a serious violation of the rule of law, and the principle according to which all individuals are equal before the law.”

It did not say how many ultra-Orthodox should be drafted.

The court also ruled that state subsidies for seminaries where exempted ultra-Orthodox men study should remain suspended. The court temporarily froze the seminary budgets earlier this year.

In a post on the social media platform X, cabinet minister Yitzhak Goldknopf, who heads one of the ultra-Orthodox parties in the coalition, called the ruling “very unfortunate and disappointing.” He did not say whether his party would bolt the government.

“The state of Israel was established in order to be a home for the Jewish people whose Torah is the bedrock of its existence. The Holy Torah will prevail,” he wrote.

The ultra-Orthodox see their full-time religious study as their part in protecting the state of Israel. Many fear that greater contact with secular society through the military will distance adherents from strict observance of the faith.

Ultra-Orthodox men attend special seminaries that focus on religious studies, with little attention on secular topics like math, English or science. Critics have said they are ill-prepared to serve in the military or enter the secular work force.

Religious women generally receive blanket exemptions that are not as controversial, in part because women are not expected to serve in combat units.

The ruling now sets the stage for growing friction within the coalition between those who support drafting more ultra-Orthodox and those who oppose the idea. Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers are likely to face intense pressure from religious leaders and their constituents and may have to choose whether remaining in the government is worthwhile for them.

Shuki Friedman, vice-president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank said the ultra-Orthodox “understand that they don’t have a better political alternative, but at same time their public is saying ‘why did we vote for you?’”

The exemptions have faced years of legal challenges and a string of court decisions has found the system unjust. But Israeli leaders, under pressure from ultra-Orthodox parties, have repeatedly stalled. It remains unclear whether Netanyahu will be able to do so again.

Netanyahu’s coalition is buoyed by two ultra-Orthodox parties who oppose increasing enlistment for their constituents. The long-serving Israeli leader has tried to adhere to the court’s rulings while also scrambling to preserve his coalition. But with a slim majority of 64 seats in the 120-member parliament, he’s often beholden to the pet issues of smaller parties.

Netanyahu has been promoting a bill tabled by a previous government in 2022 that sought to address the issue of ultra-Orthodox enlistment.

But critics say that bill was crafted before the war and doesn’t do enough to address a pressing manpower shortfall as the army seeks to maintain its forces in the Gaza Strip while also preparing for potential war with the Lebanese Hezbollah group, which has been fighting with Israel since the war in Gaza erupted last October.

With its high birthrate, the ultra-Orthodox community is the fastest-growing segment of the population, at about 4% annually. Each year, roughly 13,000 ultra-Orthodox males reach the conscription age of 18, but less than 10% enlist, according to the Israeli parliament’s State Control Committee.

Israel:

David, a 61-year-old Israeli, has been on edge ever since his soldier son was deployed to Gaza, where the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack shows little sign of abating.

“As a father, I’m always nervous,” David told AFP at the family’s northern Israel home, just after his son Yonatan, 22, left to join his army unit in Rafah, the focus of recent fighting in the southern Gaza Strip.

The family has asked to use first names only for safety reasons.

David and other relatives of troops in Gaza have been left fearing for their loved ones and contemplating the war’s costs. For some, it is too much.

Yonatan has been among the tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers and reservists sent to Gaza in Israel’s withering military campaign, which the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory says has killed 37,337 people, mostly civilians.

The October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The deaths of 11 soldiers announced Saturday, including eight in an explosion near the southern city of Rafah, marked one of the heaviest losses for the Israeli military since the start of the war.

Yonatan’s mother Sharon, 53, said there were “really difficult days where I’m crying all the time”.

But “there is really a limit to how much you can cry,” she said.

To ease their nerves, the couple has joined weekly sessions with other parents.

At the latest meeting on Thursday, platters of watermelon and snacks lined the table as parents held up whiskey glasses for a toast to their loved ones.

 ‘Enough’ 

“L’chaim, to all the soldiers, their families, their parents who support them,” said one attendee, using the Hebrew toast, which means “to life”.

War is “almost like Russian roulette”, said David, who fought during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in the 1980s.

Back then, he was not scared, he said, but now as father he is worried for his son.

Yonatan had narrowly avoided death in Gaza recently, his father said, having just put on his helmet when an explosion rang out and shrapnel hit him.

David added that Yonatan had told him Israel has to be “successful and victorious” for the sake of future generations.

But some parents do not believe the war is worth risking the lives of their children.

Earlier this month, a group of about 30 people rallied outside Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s home in Amikam, a community north of Tel Aviv, urging an end to the war.

“The parents of soldiers are screaming ‘enough’,” read a message on banners and T-shirts at the small protest.

“My son, he’s a soldier, and he’s doing what his commanders tell him to do,” said a 58-year-old protester, requesting anonymity to express freely her opinions about the conflict.

“The beginning of the war was right, but not anymore,” she added.

At first, she said she had hopes the war would free the hostages taken by Gaza militants on October 7.

But “we are very, very, very far from this goal… This war has to stop.”

Out of 251 hostages seized during the Hamas attack, 116 remain in Gaza including 41 the army says are dead. Seven have been freed alive by Israeli forces, while dozens were released during a one-week truce in November.

 ‘War for nothing’ 

Protester Alon Shirizly, 78, said Israel cannot achieve its stated goal of defeating Hamas by military means.

“Hamas is an ideological movement. You cannot eliminate an ideological movement,” he said.

With demonstrators waving Israeli flags, Lital, who joined the protest out of concern for her son, said: “We are very patriotic, we love this country.”

“The soldiers are also very, very tired and exhausted, and they’re not at their best anymore,” said the woman, also requesting not to use her full name.

Yifat Gadot, 48, whose son is fighting in Gaza, said she has been living in dread.

“Every knock on the door, we are afraid the army is coming to tell us our son has been killed.”

At least 309 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the Gaza campaign since the start of ground operations on October 27, according to the army.

“I personally will not be able to continue living here in Israel if my son dies or gets injured for nothing,” Gadot said.

“And now, the war in Gaza is for nothing.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, chants slogans after he delivered a statement on the group’s latest attacks during a rally held to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Sanaa, Yemen on May 24, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A Greek-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier that came under attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels earlier this week had a cargo of grain bound for Iran, the group’s main benefactor, authorities said on May 30.

The attack on the Laax comes as the Houthis continue their attacks on shipping throughout the Red Sea corridor, part of a campaign they say aims at pressuring Israel and the West over the war in Gaza. However, as shipping through that artery has dropped during the months of attacks, the rebels have struck vessels associated with Iran, as well as Tehran’s economic lifelines of China and Russia.

Initially after the attack, the Laax had listed its destination as Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. On May 30, however, its listed destination instead appeared to be Bandar Khomeini, Iran.

A statement released by French naval forces based in the UAE that patrol the Middle East also identified the vessel’s grain shipment as being bound for Iran. It said that a team from Djibouti had inspected the damage caused by the attack, which it said involved both drones and missiles, and found no remaining dangerous explosives onboard the ship.

Images released by the French navy showed damage both at the waterline of the vessel, as well as on its deck.

May 28’s attack saw five missiles hit the Laax during the hourslong assault, the private security firm LSS-SAPU told The Associated Press. LSS-SAPU, which earlier helped evacuate mariners from the Houthi-attacked Rubymar that later sunk, said there had been no prior warning by radio from the Houthis.

LSS-SAPU had three armed security guards onboard the Laax at the time of the attack. Among the ship’s crew were 13 Filipinos and one Ukrainian, the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers said in a statement.

The Houthis in recent months have stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, demanding that Israel end the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage.

The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, killed three sailors, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration.

On Wednesday, another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone apparently crashed in Yemen, with the Houthis claiming they fired a surface-to-air missile at it. The U.S. Air Force didn’t report any aircraft missing, leading to suspicion that the drone may have been piloted by the CIA. As many as three may have been lost this month alone.

Palestinians carry mock large keys during a mass ceremony to commemorate the Nakba Day, Arabic for catastrophe, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

As Israel keeps up its campaign against Hamas, Arab leaders are mapping out ways to support post-war Gaza, placing one major condition on their involvement: a pathway to Palestinian statehood.

Major obstacles lie ahead in gaining the support of both U.S. President Joe Biden and the Israeli government, which is currently led by hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a staunch opponent of the two-state solution.

But the Arab quintet of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt have made clear that their financial and political support, which would be crucial to the future of the shattered Gaza Strip, comes at a cost.

“We have coordinated on this closely with the Palestinians. It needs to be truly a pathway to a Palestinian state,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a World Economic Forum meeting in Riyadh last month.

“Without a real political pathway… it would be very difficult for Arab countries to discuss how we are going to govern.”

It is not the first time Arab leaders have come together to chart a path towards a two-state solution, the cherished goal that they believe could defuse tensions in West Asia and help usher in a period of prosperity.

But with the Israel-Hamas war hobbling regional economies and spilling over into neighbouring countries, there is both urgency and opportunity.

Last month, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, European and Arab Foreign Ministers met to discuss how to advance the two-state solution.

Gaza will also be top of the agenda when leaders from the 22-member Arab League meet in Bahrain on Thursday.

Two goals

Arab countries are “pressuring the United States to achieve two things: establish a Palestinian state and recognising it in the United Nations”, said an Arab diplomat who is familiar with the talks.

“What is currently hindering these intensive efforts is the continuation of the war and Netanyahu’s intransigent rejection,” said the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Arab leaders “have been trying to work with the Biden administration to mutually support the so-called day after” plan, said Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at Britain’s Chatham House think tank.

Central to their plan is the reform of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to clear the way for a reunified administration in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The PA has had almost no influence over Gaza since Hamas militants wrestled control of the territory from the Fatah movement of President Mahmud Abbas in 2007.

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London:

There is only enough fuel to run health services in the south of Gaza for three more days, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge in the south of Gaza from combat further north in the Palestinian enclave. Israel has threatened a major assault on the southern city of Rafah to defeat thousands of Hamas fighters it says are holed up there, and its troops are now battling the Islamist group on Rafah’s outskirts.

The WHO said a delivery of fuel to the area had been denied on Wednesday. It also said that Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah was already no longer functional, one of three hospitals in the city. Some of its equipment has been moved to field hospitals, WHO said.

“WHO has pre-positioned some supplies in warehouses and hospitals, but without more aid flowing into Gaza, we cannot sustain our life-saving support to hospitals,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that WHO would remain in the area to provide health services.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Cairo, Egypt:

The first ambulances carrying wounded Palestinians from war-torn Gaza entered Egypt via the Rafah crossing  today, an Egyptian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Live footage shown on television stations close to Egyptian intelligence had shown the ambulances entering the Egyptian side of the Rafah terminal to bring back what officials said would be around 90 of the most seriously sick and wounded Palestinians for treatment in Egyptian hospitals.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Saturday discussed the worsening security and humanitarian situation in West Asia. Both leaders expressed their concern over the increase in terrorism, violence, and civilian casualties in the area, largely owing to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. 

PM Modi and President el-Sisi agreed on the need to quickly restore peace and stability and to provide humanitarian assistance to those who have been affected by the conflict.

“Yesterday, spoke with President @AlsisiOfficial. Exchanged views on the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in West Asia. We share concerns regarding terrorism, violence, and loss of civilian lives. We agree on the need for early restoration of peace and stability and facilitating humanitarian assistance,” PM Modi wrote on X. 

Yesterday, spoke with President @AlsisiOfficial. Exchanged views on the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in West Asia. We share concerns regarding terrorism, violence and loss of civilian lives. We agree on the need for early restoration of peace and stability…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 29, 2023

The two leaders also exchanged views on the latest developments in the “Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip”, a spokesperson for the Egyptian Presidency said.

“President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call from Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, in which views were exchanged between the two leaders on the latest developments in the Israeli military operations in the Gaza strip, and the danger of continuing the current escalation, whether due to its grave effects on the lives of civilians, or the threat it poses to security,” a Facebook post from the spokersperson read.

The October 7 attack by Hamas killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, in Israel. In retaliation, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed more than 8,000 people, half of them children, the Hamas-controlled health ministry in the besieged Palestinian territory has said. 

India on Friday abstained from a UN General Assembly resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas war, saying that the resolution does not mention Hamas and that the UN needs to send a clear message against terrorism.

“We hope that the deliberations of this assembly will send a clear message against terror and violence and expand prospects for diplomacy and dialogue while addressing the humanitarian crisis that confronts us,” said India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Yojna Patel.

India expressed grave concern over the worsening situation in Gaza and urged both sides to cease hostilities and pursue a peaceful resolution through dialogue.

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Saturday discussed the worsening security and humanitarian situation in West Asia. Both leaders expressed their concern over the increase in terrorism, violence, and civilian casualties in the area, largely owing to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. 

PM Modi and President el-Sisi agreed on the need to quickly restore peace and stability and to provide humanitarian assistance to those who have been affected by the conflict.

“Yesterday, spoke with President @AlsisiOfficial. Exchanged views on the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in West Asia. We share concerns regarding terrorism, violence, and loss of civilian lives. We agree on the need for early restoration of peace and stability and facilitating humanitarian assistance,” PM Modi wrote on X. 

Yesterday, spoke with President @AlsisiOfficial. Exchanged views on the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in West Asia. We share concerns regarding terrorism, violence and loss of civilian lives. We agree on the need for early restoration of peace and stability…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 29, 2023

The two leaders also exchanged views on the latest developments in the “Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip”, a spokesperson for the Egyptian Presidency said.

“President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call from Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, in which views were exchanged between the two leaders on the latest developments in the Israeli military operations in the Gaza strip, and the danger of continuing the current escalation, whether due to its grave effects on the lives of civilians, or the threat it poses to security,” a Facebook post from the spokersperson read.

The October 7 attack by Hamas killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, in Israel. In retaliation, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed more than 8,000 people, half of them children, the Hamas-controlled health ministry in the besieged Palestinian territory has said. 

India on Friday abstained from a UN General Assembly resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas war, saying that the resolution does not mention Hamas and that the UN needs to send a clear message against terrorism.

“We hope that the deliberations of this assembly will send a clear message against terror and violence and expand prospects for diplomacy and dialogue while addressing the humanitarian crisis that confronts us,” said India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Yojna Patel.

India expressed grave concern over the worsening situation in Gaza and urged both sides to cease hostilities and pursue a peaceful resolution through dialogue.

Voting results displayed as the Unite Nations General Assembly voted on a nonbinding resolution calling for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza and a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers on October 27, 2023 at U.N. headquarters.
| Photo Credit: AP

UNGA vote on Gaza | India defends abstention, says resolution should have referred to October 7 terror attacks on Israel

The government defended its decision to abstain in a U.N. General Assembly vote on resolution that called for a humanitarian truce and ceasefire in Gaza, saying it did not include “explicit condemnation” of the October 7 terror attacks in Israel. A note circulated by government sources responding to criticism from Opposition members about the vote said that since India’s concerns over omissions had not been covered by the final text of the resolution, it had decided to abstain. 

Former Hamas chief Khaled Mashal’s online speech sets off row in Kerala

Palestinian leader and former Hamas chief Khaled Mashal addressed online a rally taken out by the Solidarity Youth Movement expressing support for the Palestinian people in Malappuram on October 27. The live video address by the former Hamas chief triggered a controversy with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president K. Surendran calling for legal action against the organisers.

CJI to head five-judge Bench that will hear electoral bonds case

The Supreme Court on Saturday named the five judges on the Constitution Bench scheduled to hear petitions challenging the legality of the electoral bonds scheme, which facilitates anonymous donations to political parties, from October 31.

Lok Sabha ethics panel asks Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra to appear on November 2, rules out any further extension

Trinamool Congress member in the Lok Sabha, Mahua Moitra, who is facing an inquiry into allegations of cash-for-query, has been asked to appear before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee on November 2, but the panel ruled out any further extension. Earlier, the committee had asked her to appear before it on October 31, but she expressed her inability to do so, citing prior engagements. Ms. Moitra, in a letter, had said that she was looking forward to depose and the committee could choose any date after November 5.

Shelling by Pakistan triggers scare in Jammu’s Arnia

Uneasy calm and fear prevailed in villages near the zero line in the Arnia sector of Jammu after an eight-hour skirmish between Indian and Pakistani troops which left the 2021 ceasefire agreement hanging by a thread.

A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman said constable Basava Raj sustained minor injuries in the hands. “His condition is stable. There was no other loss. The damage to material is being ascertained,” the BSF said.

Former U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence drops out of Republican presidential campaign

Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence ended his cash-strapped presidential campaign on October 28, after struggling for months to convince Republican voters he was the best alternative to the man he once served with unswerving loyalty — Donald Trump.

“To the American people I say: This is not my time,” Mr. Pence told attendees at the Republican Jewish Coalition donor conference in Las Vegas.

Bangladesh is building memorial to honour Indian heroes of 1971 war

A memorial to honour the Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971 at Ashuganj in Bangladesh is in the advanced stages of completion. It will have the names of around 1,600 Indian soldiers inscribed on it. It is expected to be ready by December and the effort is to have it inaugurated by Prime Minister of the two Prime Ministers in March or April, said A.K.M. Mozammel Haque, Bangladeshi Minister for Liberation War Affairs.

Delhi’s air quality deteriorates; no respite likely till month end

Delhi’s air quality slipped into the “very poor” category on Saturday and is unlikely to improve over the next three days, according to official data. Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was 304 (very poor) at 4 p.m. on Saturday, up from 261 (poor) a day earlier, as per the daily bulletin of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Cricket World Cup 2023 IND vs ENG | On-a-roll India raring to extend its dream run against sinking England

The labyrinth of roads criss-crossing Lucknow’s heart are dotted with heritage buildings, harking back to a bygone era. The other end of the spectrum has contemporary streets and suburbs with their skyscrapers. Modern pizzas and ancient tunday kebabs jostle together in a multi-layered culinary landscape.

With Israel intensifying its bombardment of Gaza, in which more than 7,700 people were killed in 22 days, fears of a wider regional war are also rising. Israel started bombing Gaza, a tiny, defenceless enclave of 2.3 million people, who have been sandwiched between Israel proper and the Mediterranean Sea, after Hamas, an Islamist militant group that controls the land strip, carried out a cross-border raid on October 7, killing at least 1,400 Israelis. After Israel started the retaliatory strikes, Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia militant group that had fought Israel in the past, fired rockets into the Shebaa Farms, a Lebanese territory on the border that Israel occupies, showing “solidarity” with the Palestinians. Last week, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah met Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders and offered support for the “Palestinian resistance”. Some Hezbollah fighters also tried to infiltrate into northern Israel after the Gaza war began. Israel responded with heavy shelling of southern Lebanon. As tensions rise, the world is watching whether Hezbollah would open another front or Israel carry out pre-emptive strikes in Lebanon, widening the conflict.

Also Read | UNGA vote on Gaza | India defends abstention, says resolution should have referred to October 7 terror attacks on Israel

Ironically, the roots of Hezbollah go back to Israel’s 1982 war on Lebanon, which the then Likud Prime Minister, Menachem Begin, said would bring “forty years of peace for Israel”. Lebanon was in the grip of a devastating civil war that began in 1975. According to Lebanon’s post-French Constitution, power was divided among the country’s different communities — the Presidency is reserved for Christians, the Premiership for Sunnis and the Speakership for the Shias. Roughly 40% of Lebanon’s population are Arab Shias. The influx of the Palestinian refugees into Lebanon and the relocation of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) to Lebanon from Jordan in 1971 would create fissures in the country’s delicate confessional system, which would lead to the civil war. While the Sunnis and Maronite Christians were the powerful sects, Shias were the invisible majority, sidelined by the major players and post-colonial institutions.

Israel attacked Lebanon in 1978 and 1982, first to push the PLO out of the border region and then out of the country. In 1982, the PLO would agree to leave Lebanon, but one community that bore the brunt of Israel’s disproportionate bombing was the already marginalised Shias.

Three years earlier, a geopolitical earthquake had shaken West Asia — in Iran, which was an American ally, Shia Mullahs captured power after bringing down a thousands of years old monarchy. Iran, which was already fighting a conventional war with Iraq (1980-88), sensed an opportunity in Lebanon’s chaos. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of the Iranian regime helped mobilise thousands of Shias in Lebanon in 1982 to form a loose network of what was then unofficially called the ‘Islamic Resistance’.

Early attacks

One of the first targets of the Islamic Resistance was the Multinational Forces (MNF) deployed in Lebanon. In April 1983, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut was bombed, killing 63 people. In October, 305 people, mostly American and French soldiers, were killed in suicide attacks on their military barracks. Following these attacks, the MNF would leave the country, providing the first victory to the newly organised Shia militants. Israeli troops retreated to a “security zone” in southern Lebanon. In 1985, the Islamic Resistance would come up with a manifesto, calling for the destruction of the state of Israel, vowing to oust occupied forces from Lebanon and declaring allegiance to Iran’s Supreme Leader. According to some reports, it was Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader, who picked the name ‘Hezbollah’ (literally ‘the Party of God’) for the new movement.

Over the years, Hezbollah has built sprawling social, political and military networks with deep roots in Lebanon’s Shia community. In southern Lebanon, a Shia stronghold, it carried out a disciplined, effective, popular guerilla war against the occupying Israeli forces, turning the ‘security zone’ into what Adam Shatz calls an ‘insecurity zone’. The party organisation has been built in a Leninist order, centralising authority in the hands of the Secretary General. The chief would oversee a seven-member Shura council, like the Polit Bureau of a communist party, and then there are sub councils. Their social network caters to the Shia working class, offering support, including healthcare and education assistance, in a country where the state is systemically weak, while the political and parliamentary councils have played the role of a kingmaker in Lebanon’s fractured polity since 1992, when Hezbollah participated in the elections for the first time. Yet, the most important arm is the Jihad Council, which controls its military activities.

Israel assassinated Hezbollah’s co-founder Abbas al-Musawi in 1992 as part of a policy of targeted killings to weaken rival outfits. But the man who succeeded Musawi, Hassan Nasralla, turned Hezbollah into a socio- politico-militant giant, “a state within the state”, though it has been designated as a terrorist outfit by Israel and several of its allies. In 2000, after 18 years of occupation, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak decided to unilaterally withdraw from southern Lebanon, which Hezbollah celebrated as “the first Arab victory in the history of Arab-Israeli conflict”. But Israel’s withdrawal would not quieten the Lebanese border. Hezbollah said it would continue to fight the Israelis as long as its occupation of Shebaa Farms and Palestinian territories continues. In its 2019 updated manifesto, Hezbollah reiterated its commitment for the destruction of Israel.

War with Israel

In 2006, after Hezbollah carried out a raid and abducted two Israeli soldiers, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared war against the militant group. The war lasted for over 30 days and even on the last day of fighting, Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets into Israel. Israeli air strikes and ground attacks destroyed much of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, but the group survived, and emerged politically stronger in Lebanon. In the subsequent years, Hezbollah rebuilt its military power, mainly with help from Iran. From the 1980s, Syria’s Baathist regime has been a conduit between Iran and Hezbollah. When Bashar al-Assad’s regime was losing control in the midst of the Syrian civil war, Nasrallah despatched thousands of soldiers to fight alongside the Syrian Army. Under Russian air cover and with support from Iran, the Syrian Army, Hezbollah and other Shia militias turned around the civil war. Hezbollah emerged stronger out of the Syrian conflict, with newly gained battlefield experience. It has also strengthened the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah axis. In recent years. Israel has carried out repeated air strikes inside Syria, mainly targeting Iranian supplies for Hezbollah.

Israel sees Hezbollah as a potent rival, unlike other non-state actors, including Hamas. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, London, the militia has up to 20,000 active fighters and as many reservists, with an arsenal of small arms, tanks, drones, and long-range rockets. Last November, while briefing about Israel’s past conflicts with Hezbollah on the Lebanese border, an Israeli Brigadier told this writer they never underestimated Hezbollah, which “has now amassed more than 1,00,000 rockets”. “Hezbollah is a tough enemy. They have very good military equipment. They are very well-trained,” he said, requesting anonymity. That Israel has mobilised 3,50,000 troops, including all reservists, suggests that it is taking the risk of a wider war seriously. Hezbollah, on the other side, keeps everyone guessing, while reiterating its rhetorical support for Hamas. “We are fully ready to fight Israel when time comes,” says the ‘Party of God’.