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Complexity of Israeli-Hezbollah-Lebanon War

As Hezbollah and Israel are engulfed in fighting, the numbers of displaced civilians so far are being estimated at nearly 700,000 people, one fifth of Lebanon’s population.

Hezbollah is a Shi’ite political and military organization in Lebanon led by Sheikh Nasrallah. Formed in 1982 in response to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon at that time, it is separate and stronger than the national Lebanese army and controls much of southern Lebanon. Its dominance and popularity in the south challenges the sovereign authority of the Lebanese government in Beirut. Part of Hezbollah’s popularity comes from performing many useful social services that help the Lebanese. In addition to that, the political branch of Hezbollah legitimately holds 23 seats in the 128 seat Parliament, giving it some political clout as well. On July 12th, Hezbollah militants operating out of southern Lebanon captured two Israeli soldiers and killed eight after a raid. Within hours Israel purportedly responded with cross border tank incursions and by shelling Hezbollah positions in Lebanon along with a naval blockade of Lebanon’s port cities and air attacks on targets in Beirut, including the international airport, power plants and Hezbollah’s television station, Al-Manar.

[clockwise from top] 1.) Hezbollah militia man an anti-aircraft weapon from what is purportedly a residential area. 2.) Casualties do not discriminate between fighters and innocent civilians, including women and children. 3.) Like a fission reaction, the cycle of violence leads to more violence by inflaming anger and hatred, as seen in Hezbollah demonstrations. 4.) An Israeli F-16 flys by.

Hezbollah which means ‘party of God’, has responded against Israel’s overwhelming military superiority by firing rockets from positions in southern Lebanon into northern Israeli cities, particularly focusing on damaging the Israeli economy by targeting the port of city of Haifa.

Hezbollah claims it has used Iranian made Raad-2 rockets but declines to say if it bought the weapons directly from Iran, saying it also has American made M-16’s, but purchases them from third party sources. Soviet era Katyusha rockets, considerably less accurate than the Raad-2 are the standard rocket being used by Hezbollah militia. According to Al-Manar, Hezbollah’s television station, the group has also fired a new long-range rocket called the Khaybar-1. The Khaybar-1 carries five times more explosives then the Katyusha rocket, 220 pounds for each rocket compared to the Katyusha 49 pounds. Some believe it may be capable of hitting Tel Aviv, the operative capital Israel.

The Israelis, with their vastly superior air force and artillery have devastated much of Lebanon’s infrastructure, and economy. Israeli Army Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Dan Halutz said the Israeli military would “turn back the clock in Lebanon by 20 years” if the soldiers were not returned. Some analysts believe Lebanon has already been set back the 20 years in development.

As the conflict rages on and Israel cuts deeper into southern Lebanon to establish a buffer zone in which no rockets could be launched at Israeli cities, diplomacy via third parties has been very active, with envoys, ambassadors, and UN officials discussing ways to minimize the bloodshed. This form of “Shuttle Diplomacy” made famous by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger allows the warring parties who do not want to talk with each other to negotiate nevertheless through third parties.

The representative from the United States, Sec. of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice, flew to the Middle East and Rome to meet with Arab and European leaders about the issue, initially arguing that Israel should not be forced to cease fire until after it had had a chance to destroy or diminish the ability of Hezbollah to attack Israel. The United States appears to be standing alone on the issue, as Arab and European leaders call for an immediate cease-fire in the region. This has further inflamed anti-American sentiment in the region, and is largely seen as being one-sided with Israel and indifferent to the humanitarian crisis occurring with hundreds of civilians being killed, whether Arab or Israeli. The United States refuted the cease-fire, with Condi Rice stating: “the region has had too many broken cease-fires, too many spasms of violence” and that any plan for peace must involve the disarmament of Hezbollah.

UN proposition 1559 was established in 2004 to do just that. Passed by the UN Security Council to rid Lebanon of Syrian occupying forces, this non-interference resolution called for all foreign forces to leave Lebanon and for all militias to be disbanded. Syrian forces left and democracy ensued. Hezbollah stayed, ignoring the international resolution to disarm and occupied and fortified southern Lebanon. UN 1559 also calls for “all concerned parties to cooperate fully for implementation of the resolution concerning territorial integrity and full sovereignty of Lebanon.” UN proposition 1559 is purportedly the driving force behind the position taken by the United States in its policy towards the conflict.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Hezbollah is supported and supplied by Syria and Iran as a way to offset the power and influence of Israel, and to further spread Shi’ite ideology. Syria is also interested in seeing Israel return the land known as the Golan Heights that Israel captured in previous wars. There is concern the conflict can quickly escalate if Israel expands it attack at either Syria or Iran, both of which have promised immediate retaliations if that were to occur. All sides appear to want to avoid this.

World leaders, including the Bush Administration and Israel, are supporting a plan in which international peacekeepers, through the United Nations, will be deployed to southern Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from launching more rocket attacks against Israeli population centers. No timetable has been established yet on when to deploy these troops.

President Bush in a speech delivered on July 28, with Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain, said his top priorities during this crisis were to end the violence, return displaced civilians, help with reconstruction and provide immediate humanitarian relief. “A moment of intense conflict” can lead to a “moment of opportunity and a chance for a broader change in the region” said Bush. Bush and Blair both expressed support for a UN cease-fire resolution that would help Lebanese troops take control of southern Lebanon.

Humanitarian concerns are foremost on the minds of world diplomats. United Nations Humanitarian Chief Jan Egeland has said that “There is something fundamentally wrong with the war, where there are more dead children than armed men.” United States commitment to relief is strong with the U.S military along with the Agency for International Development (USAID) heading the effort. Already 30 million dollars has been committed for immediate relief for the Lebanese people, with 11 million already sent. According to the USAID website, deliveries contain basic medical supplies for 20,000 people for a 3 month period. Blankets and plastic sheeting have also been sent to help displaced civilians. A United States Government Situation Report on the Lebanon Humanitarian Emergency issued on July 27th has reported that five to ten thousand Lebanese and third country nationals leave each day. Many are stranded unable to get out.

One obstacle with the humanitarian relief effort is the lack of open, safe corridors in Lebanon to which aid can be moved throughout the region. According to the Government of Israel, the safe corridors that do exist are defined as those that still require coordination with the Israeli Defense Force. These are military routes that can change day to day according to IDF military needs, not humanitarian relief needs. The IDF has also claimed that the corridors are sometimes closed by Hezbollah. Hezbollah blames Israel.

The current conflict in Israel and Lebanon also must be put into the context of the crisis created by the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine, which has historically united Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims together against their common enemy, Israel. Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has called for Israel to be “wiped off the map”. Part of the stated mission of Hezbollah is the elimination of Israel. Even al-Qaeda’s Ayman al-Zawahri, a Sunni Muslim, has tried to stoke the flames of hatred, calling for the war to brought not just on Israel, but all the West, saying “The shells and missiles that are ripping apart Muslims' bodies in Gaza and Lebanon are not purely Israeli, but are supplied by all the countries of the crusader coalition,” he said. “We cannot just watch these shells as they burn our brothers in Gaza and Lebanon and stand by idly, humiliated.”

As the shelling continues on both sides, the prospects for peace soon seem remote.

Michael Schild is a UAlbany student interning with The Informed Constituent. His specialty is international relations and foreign policy.

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