WATCH: What is Hezbollah and why is this militia permanently at war with Israel?
Hezbollah’s ‘ghost’ commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli attack in Beirut on July 31. Shukr was the most senior Hezbollah commander killed by Israel in the 10-month-long war. Hezbollah had vowed to avenge Shukr’s death.
On the morning of August 25, at least 100 Israeli warplanes launched massive attacks in Lebanon, which Israeli officials claimed was a preemptive strike. But Hezbollah still fired more than 300 Katyusha rockets and drones towards Israel, hitting northern Israel and even a suburb of Tel Aviv. After the bombing, both sides signaled a de-escalation, but the war still continues.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that “we will harm whoever is harming us”. Israel also has a lot of firepower and is backed by the US. Still, Israel does not have a credible deterrence against Hezbollah, which continues to fire rockets into Israeli territory.
What is Hezbollah? And why is this militia permanently at war with Israel?
Presented by: Stanley Johnny
Video: Thamodharan B.
Production: Gayatri Menon