Image from: JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images
On Monday, an Israeli drone strike killed top Hezbollah commander Wissam Tawil in southern Lebanon. Since the October 7th massacre, Israel has exchanged fire not only with Hamas but also with the country’s decades-long enemy, Hezbollah.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the situation, noting that approximately 100,000 Israelis residing in northern Israel were compelled to evacuate their homes due to the Hezbollah threat. He added that the U.S. is also engaged in pursuing a diplomatic resolution to facilitate the return of Lebanese citizens to their residences in southern Lebanon.
Just one day after the death of Tawil, Iranian-backed Hezbollah conducted a drone attack on an Israeli command base. In response, Israel retaliated with airstrikes, reportedly carrying out a targeted strike that resulted in the deaths of three Hezbollah members.
What is Hezbollah?
The United States Department of Justice provides the following description of Hezbollah:
A Lebanon-based Shia Islamic organization with political, social and terrorist components. Hezbollah was founded in the 1980s with support from Iran after the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and its mission includes establishing a fundamentalist Islamic state in Lebanon. Since Hezbollah’s formation, the organization has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks that have killed hundreds, including U.S. citizens and military personnel.
Hezbollah directly translates to “party of Allah” and maintains control of most of Lebanon, including the capital, Beirut. Like Hamas, they deny Israel’s right to exist and are designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Israel, and various other nations.
While Hamas governs the Palestinian territory of Gaza, Hezbollah operates from Lebanon, on Israel’s northern border. Despite both being militant Islamic entities, Hamas aligns with the Sunni branch of Islam, while Hezbollah aligns with the Shia branch.
Most foreign policy experts and Israeli officials recognize that the threat posed to Israel by Hezbollah is significantly more grave than that posed by Hamas. Hezbollah’s army contains anywhere from 50,000-100,000 militants and is used by Iran as an invaluable tool serving the country’s aims in the region.
Who was Hezbollah Commander Wissam Tawil?
The death of Wissam Tawil marks another escalation in the broader conflict in the Middle East, as he was Hezbollah’s most senior commander.
Tawil joined the Lebanese military group in 1989 and participated in multiple military operations against Israel in Lebanon. In 1999, Tawil sustained serious injuries in one such operation but managed to recuperate to continue his career in the militant Shiite group.
In 2006, Tawil was involved in another operation, which led to the capture of two Israeli soldiers. Israel retaliated by launching what would come to be known as the Second Lebanon War in Israel.
Additionally, Tawil and Hezbollah fought alongside the pro-government forces under President Bashar Al-Assad during the Syrian civil war.
Brandon Goldman is the Chief Development Officer for American Daily Press and is based outside of Boston, MA