Hezbollah, << `hehz` buh LAH, >> is a radical Islamic group in Lebanon. The name is also spelled Hizballah, Hizbollah, or Hizbullah. Hezbollah is an Arabic term meaning Party of God. Hezbollah is associated with the Shī`ah branch of Islam (see Shī`ites). Hezbollah has carried out many terrorist acts against Israeli and Western targets. It also participates in Lebanese politics and provides education, health care, and other services for Shī`ites in Lebanon.
Hezbollah draws its inspiration from the 1979 revolution in Iran that turned that country into an Islamic republic. Hezbollah has called for a similar revolution in Lebanon. Hezbollah also opposes Israel and calls for an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian areas. Iran provides Hezbollah with financial aid, training, weapons, and political support. Syria—which had troops in Lebanon from 1976 to 2005—also supports Hezbollah.
Hezbollah was formed in 1982 when a group of radical Shī`ites broke away from Lebanon’s main Shī`ah political party. The creation of Hezbollah was partly a response to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982. After the invasion, Israeli forces continued to occupy southern Lebanon. Hezbollah guerrillas battled Israeli forces in the area throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. In 2000, Israeli troops withdrew from the area.
Hezbollah has engaged in terrorism since its formation. In 1983 and 1984, Hezbollah militants blew up the United States embassy and annex in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, killing about 80 people. In 1983, Hezbollah suicide bombers attacked the U.S. Marine and French Foreign Legion headquarters in Beirut, killing about 300 soldiers. From 1984 to 1992, Hezbollah held several Americans and Europeans as hostages.
In July 2006, Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers near the border of Lebanon and Israel. They hoped to exchange the soldiers for Lebanese prisoners held by Israel. In response to the capture, Israel began bombing Lebanon. Israel blamed the Lebanese government for not disarming Hezbollah. During the conflict, Hezbollah fired thousands of missiles into northern Israel. In August, Israel and Lebanon accepted a cease-fire agreement drafted by the UN Security Council. The conflict caused the deaths of over 1,200 people, most of them Lebanese.
