Hezbollah was born from an Israeli occupation
The militant group gained its initial popularity as a resistance force when Israel occupied southern Lebanon, a cycle that experts warn is repeating today.
The rise of Hezbollah is deeply rooted in the geography of conflict. While the group is now a major political and military power, it first gained widespread popularity in the 1980s as a self-styled resistance force during the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. This historical pattern suggests that military advancement often serves as a recruitment tool for the very groups it seeks to dismantle. As Israeli forces move deeper into Lebanese territory, local sympathy for the militia tends to grow, reinforcing its image as a necessary defense against foreign presence.