Hezbollah’s Long March out of the Shadows
While Hezbollah often hits the headlines, its history is less familiar. The emergence of Shia militancy in Lebanon was centuries in the making.
On the morning of July 12th 2006, a group of Hezbollah fighters stole across the border between Lebanon and Israel and, after engaging in a firefight with an Israeli patrol, abducted two soldiers. This incident marked the outbreak of a month-long conflict which pitted Israel against Hezbollah, while the Lebanese government stood by, helplessly watching on as much of its country’s infrastructure was destroyed. The war, while costing many lives on both sides of the border, has also ensured renewed interest in Hezbollah, and the Shi’a of Lebanon. Never before has a clear understanding of the history of this community seemed more important.
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