The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has now stretched into its second month, with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam issuing a grim warning about the seemingly endless nature of the hostilities that have already forced a million people from their homes.

Lebanon finds itself caught in the crossfire of a broader conflict involving the United States and Israel on one side, and Iran on the other. The situation escalated after US-Israeli forces targeted Iran on February 28, prompting the Iran-backed Hezbollah to retaliate by launching rockets into northern Israel on March 2.

In response, Israel initiated a comprehensive air assault coupled with ground operations into southern Lebanon, intensifying the conflict’s scope and impact.

The Lebanese health ministry reports that over 1,300 fatalities have resulted from Israeli strikes, with the conflict displacing approximately 20% of Lebanon’s population. Israeli evacuation orders currently affect around 15% of Lebanese land.

Israel has stated its intention to establish a “buffer zone” extending to the Litani River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea roughly 30 kilometers north of the Israeli border.

The Lebanese government has described the operation as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and the United Nations human rights chief has criticised Israel’s actions, particularly its use of widespread evacuation orders.

The conflict has also exposed tensions between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, which banned the group’s military activities after its latest attacks.

Salem said Lebanon was “a victim of a war, one whose outcomes and end date no one can predict”.

“The positions of Israeli officials, and the practices of their army, reveal far-reaching goals, including a significant expansion in the occupation of Lebanese territories, dangerous talk about establishing buffer zones or security belts, and the displacement of more than one million Lebanese.”

What is Hezbollah?

Hezbollah is a Lebanese political party and militant group formed in 1982 after Israeli forces invaded southern Lebanon. Its name means “Party of God” in Arabic.

The group is driven by its opposition to Israel and Western influence in the Middle East and is closely aligned with Iran. It receives weapons, training and funding from Iran and acts as a proxy for the government.

It is known as a “state within a state” because it governs parts of Lebanon’s Shia-majority areas in parts of Beirut and southern Lebanon independently from the Lebanese government.

In 2006, Hezbollah fighters launched a cross-border attack against Israel, triggering a 34-day war. More than 1,100 Lebanese, mostly civilians, were killed, as well as 119 Israeli soldiers and 45 civilians.

In 2021, Hezbollah’s former leader Hassan Nasrallah — who was killed by Israeli airstrikes in 2024 — claimed the group had 100,000 trained fighters. Independent estimates put the figure at between 20,000 and 50,000.

The group is listed as a terrorist organisation by countries including Australia, the United States, Israel, Germany and the United Kingdom. The European Union lists only its military wing as a terrorist organisation.

Primarily made up of Shia Muslims, Hezbollah itself makes no distinction between its political and military wings.

What was Hezbollah’s involvement in the Hamas-Israel war?

The war began when the Palestinian group Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

In response, Israel launched a bombardment of the Gaza Strip, killing more than 73,000 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza. A fragile ceasefire was signed last year, though both sides have been accused of breaching it.

Clashes between Hezbollah and Israel began in October 2023, when the group fired rockets in support of its ally Hamas.

The conflict escalated in 2024 when an Israeli airstrike killed Hezbollah’s longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel launched a ground invasion into southern Lebanon before the sides agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024.

Why is Hezbollah involved in the current conflict?

Hezbollah’s decision to launch fresh strikes against Israel — which it said were in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — angered many in Lebanon who accused the group of giving Israel an excuse to escalate.

Mohanad Hage Ali, a senior fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, said, from Hezbollah’s perspective, entering the regional war was rational.

He said Iran was facing an existential threat, and Hezbollah “is backed and funded and trained” by Iran.

The collapse of the Islamic Republic would “basically mean the death of Hezbollah as a project”, he added.

Had Hezbollah not entered the war, Hage Ali said the group would have expected that Israel would have launched an offensive against it sooner or later.

From Hezbollah’s perspective, he said: “There’s no point in continuing to be a sitting duck until Israel finishes off your main ally and comes for you. It makes more sense that you join your ally in the war and try to achieve a ceasefire as part of a package.”

What is Hezbollah’s relationship with the Lebanese government?

After Hezbollah launched fresh strikes against Israel on 2 March, the Lebanese government banned military activities by the group and demanded it hand over its weapons.

Salam said Hezbollah’s attack showed disregard for “the will of the majority of Lebanese” and that Lebanon rejected being dragged into the regional conflict.

The decision was rejected by senior Hezbollah politician Mohammed Raad, who said there was no justification for the “government to take bold and confrontational measures against Lebanese citizens who reject occupation”.

In 2008, an attempt by the Lebanese government to outlaw Hezbollah’s military telecom network led to armed conflict, during which Hezbollah fighters took over parts of Beirut.

Paul Salem of the Middle East Institute think-tank said the decision to ban Hezbollah’s military activities was historic, but implementing it would be challenging.

“A clash is possible, and maybe a clash here and there is necessary if the state is going to behave like a state and implement its laws,” he said.

“The state is not interested in confrontation, they are very aware ⁠of the risks, and they are not going to seek a broad confrontation but this sends an important signal to Hezbollah that they have gone way beyond the pale.”

— With additional reporting by the Associated Press and Reuters.

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