Hizballah – Party of God, Terror, Crime and War
The Asian Crime Century briefing 81
The escalating conflict between Israel and Hizballah forces based in Lebanon has focussed greater attention on the nature and capabilities of Hizballah. Understanding of the aims and origins of Hizballah as well as its capabilities is more critical than ever as it conducts a growing low intensity conflict with Israel that could escalate into a regional war and terrorist attacks globally.
The role of Hizballah as a possible trigger for a regional war should be understood in the context of the wider ongoing conflicts. Israel is engaged in a five front conflict, with Hamas in Gaza, Hizballah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, Palestinian groups in the West Bank, and Iran.
First, the current conflict with Hamas in Gaza commenced on 7 October 2023 when Palestinian terrorists conducted a well organised attack on communities and military bases in Israel.
Second, the 2023 conflict with Hizballah started the next day when the group fired rockets and artillery, claiming to do so “in solidarity with the Palestinian people”, onto Israeli military posts in the Shebaa Farms area, which is occupied by Israel but claimed by both Lebanon and Syria.
Third, the conflict with the Houthis, Ansar Allah, commenced on 19 October 2023 when the Yemeni group started to launch cruise missiles and drones towards Israel, which have been intercepted by US, UK, and French naval vessels as well as Israeli defences.
Fourth, the conflict with Palestinian groups in the West Bank escalated after the 7/10 attack on Israel as Palestinians fought with Israeli military and police, leading to the death of hundreds of Palestinians.
Fifth, the long running conflict with Iran was visibly illustrated on 13 April 2024 when Iran launched around 170 drones, over 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles towards Israel, which intercepted almost all of the projectiles with assistance from US, UK and France military forces. The Iranian attack followed the assassination on 1 April of seven Revolutionary Guard officers, including the commander of the elite Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria as well as his deputy, who were killed inside the Iranian Embassy in Damascus by missiles allegedly fired by Israeli aircraft.
The conflict with Hizballah in Lebanon currently seems to be the most likely of the five to lead to strategic escalation into open war involving other states or groups in the Middle East. If war between Israel and Hizballah is imminent, then understanding the global reach of Hizballah is important for the West.
Party of God
The circumstances for the creation of Hizballah evolved from the Israeli invasions of Lebanon in 1978 and 1982, as well as the revolution in Iran in 1979 as Shiite residents in Lebanon fought against the Israelis and enlisted assistance from the theocratic Shia state of Iran.
In 1982, according to historian Arash Azizi, Iranian diplomat Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour coordinated the creation of a five person committee called the Council of Lebanon to lead what was called the “Islamic Movement” and was soon known as Hizballah, or ‘Party of Allah’. The majority of the Council leading Hizballah were Iranian, including Mohtashamipour, as well as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander in Lebanon and the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon. The organisational work of Hizballah was coordinated and led by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Hizballah transformed Lebanon, with Muslim women forced to wear the Persian influenced Chador (a full length fabric covering the whole body), bars serving alcohol forced to close, and Hizballah establishing its authority through a campaign of terror.
According to the Wilson Centre, a brochure published in 1985 and written by Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, the Hizballah mentor, explains the Hizballah outlook:
“We are often asked: Who are we, the Hizballah, and what is our identity? We are the sons of the umma (Muslim community) - the party of God (Hizb Allah) the vanguard of which was made victorious by God in Iran. There the vanguard succeeded to lay down the bases of a Muslim state which plays a central role in the world. We obey the orders of one leader, wise and just, that of our tutor and faqih (jurist) who fulfills all the necessary conditions: Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini. God save him!
By virtue of the above, we do not constitute an organized and closed party in Lebanon, nor are we a tight political cadre. We are an umma linked to the Muslims of the whole world by the solid doctrinal and religious connection of Islam, whose message God wanted to be fulfilled by the Seal of the Prophets, i.e., Muhammad. This is why whatever touches or strikes the Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines and elsewhere reverberates throughout the whole Muslim umma of which we are an integral part…
Let us put it truthfully: the sons of Hizhallah know who are their major enemies in the Middle East - the Phalanges, Israel, France and the US. The sons of our umma are now in a state of growing confrontation with them…
We vigorously condemn all plans for negotiation with Israel, and regard all negotiators as enemies, for the reason that such negotiation is nothing but the recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist occupation of Palestine.”
Hizballah declares itself as the Party of God and proclaims its loyalty to Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran. Hizballah claims to be a Muslim movement with a global reach. Hizballah declares its enemies to be the Phalanges (Christian militia in Lebanon), Israel, France and the US. Hizballah rejects any negotiation with Israel, which it views as a Zionist occupation of Palestine.
As well as a religious-political party, Hizballah has also fostered support in Lebanon by building a social services network that includes health-care facilities, schools, and youth programs. Hizballah participates in Lebanese politics with members elected to the parliament since 1992 as well as members in the cabinet of government since 2005. Hizballah has evolved as a religious, political, and social organisation in Lebanon.
Party of Terror
Hizballah has projected itself in Lebanon and around the world by building a global terrorist capability. Since its creation in 1982, Hizballah has conducted an extraordinary campaign of terrorist attacks around the world, as detailed by the Israeli government as well as the Henry Jackson Society.
In April 1983, Hizballah conducted a truck bomb attack on the US Embassy in Beirut that killed 63 and injured 120. In October the same year, Hizballah conducted a suicide bomb attack on the barracks of US and French military forces in Beirut, killing 241 American Marines and 58 French personnel.
In January 1984, Hizballah murdered the president of the American University in Beirut. The same year, Hizballah conducted multiple hijackings of international flights. In September, Hizballah launched a car bomb attack on the US Embassy that killed 11 and injured 58. In December, Hizballah hijacked a Kuwait Airlines flight and killed 4 people.
In June 1985, Hizballah hijacked a TWA flight from Athens to Rome and killed a US citizen. The same year, Hizballah attempted, and failed, to assassinate the Emir of Kuwait.
From 1985 to 1986, Hizballah carried out multiple bomb attacks in France leading to 13 people killed and over 300 injured. In September 1986, Hizballah killed the French military attaché in Lebanon.
In 1988, Hizballah killed three Saudi Arabian diplomats and in 1989 were suspected of killing a Saudi diplomat in Bangkok. In 1990, Hizballah were suspected to have murdered two Saudi diplomats and also a Saudi businessman.
In 1992, Hizballah used a vehicle filled with explosive to conduct a suicide bomb attack on the Israeli Embassy in Argentine, killing 29 and injuring 220.
In 1994, Hizballah attempted to conduct a car bomb attack on the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok, which failed.
In 1994, Hizballah again used a vehicle with explosives in a suicide attack on the AMIA Jewish community building in Buenos Aires, killing 85 and injuring 300 people.
In 2005, Hizballah was believed to be responsible for the assassination of former Prime Minister of Lebanon Rafik al-Hariri with a massive explosive device.
In 2008, Hizballah plans to kill Israeli tourists in Egypt were foiled by the authorities.
In 2012, Hizballah were suspected of attempting to carry out attacks on US and Israeli Embassies in Azerbaijan.
This list is not exhaustive, but illustrates the long term terrorist campaign by Hizballah conducted in multiple countries around the world. Hizballah has established covert cells in countries, developed their networks, and when opportunities have arisen has carried out what have often been complex terrorist attacks.
Recognition of Hizballah as a terrorist organisation has been surprisingly inconsistent. The US government designated Hizballah as a foreign terrorist organisation in 1997 (15 years after is creation). The European Union designated Hizballah’s military arm a terrorist group in 2013, the UK government classified all of Hizballah as a terrorist group in 2019, and the German government did the same in 2020. Considering the Hizballah history of global terrorist action since 1983, these are remarkably slow political responses.
Party of Crime
According to the US Department of the Treasury 2024 National Terrorist Financing Assessment, “Hizballah leverages a worldwide network of illicit businesses, criminal enterprises, and financial facilitators to maintain a robust global presence and raise and launder large amounts of money.”
The Asian Crime Century briefing 77 noted the global organised crime involvement of Hizballah as a proxy for Iran. This includes the findings of a DEA investigation, made public in 2016, that they had arrested a number of persons in connection with Lebanese Hizballah’s External Security Organization Business Affairs international criminal activities including drug trafficking and money laundering that were used to purchase weapons for Hizballah for its activities in Syria. The long term DEA operation targeted a global Hizballah network responsible for trafficking large quantities of cocaine supplied by South American drug cartels for customers in the US and Europe.
Hizballah links to organised crime groups in South America were revealed by Operation Titan conducted by US and Colombian law enforcement agencies that led to a cocaine smuggling and money laundering syndicate that directed some of its profits to Hizballah. The investigations revealed that Hizballah receives direct support from sympathetic members of the Lebanese diaspora community in Latin America to finance its activities.
In 2021, the US Department of the Treasury announced sanctions targeting an international finance network accused of laundering tens of millions of dollars through financial systems to benefit Hizballah and Iran. The Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) statement announcing the sanctions was clear in explaining the financial crime collaboration between Hizballah and Iran:
“OFAC is designating members of an international network of financial facilitators and front companies that operate in support of Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF). Together, these networks have laundered tens of millions of dollars through regional financial systems and conducted currency exchange operations and trades in gold and electronics for the benefit of both Hizballah and the IRGC-QF. Hizballah, with the support of the IRGC-QF, uses the revenues generated by these networks to fund terrorist activities, as well as to perpetuate instability in Lebanon and throughout the region.”
Party of War
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) estimate that Hezbollah has a troop strength of 20,000 to 25,000 full-time fighters, with additional tens of thousands in reserves. This includes the elite Radwan Unit, established with assistance from Iran’s Quds force, which is responsible for incursions into Israel, planning for the takeover of Israeli territories and communities, and includes several thousand well trained personnel many of whom have operational experience from the Syrian civil war. The IDF comments that Hizballah has weapons that equate to those of a mid-size country, including over 150,000 rockets and missiles with a maximum range of 750 kilometres.
Hizballah is allied in its war against Israel with Hamas. On the day of the Hamas attack on Israel 7 October 2023, Hizballah leader Hasan Nasrallah issued a statement of support:
“Hizballah congratulates the resisting Palestinian people and the heroic fighters of the Palestinian factions, especially our dear brothers in the al Qassam Brigades and the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, for the wide-ranging and divinely supported heroic operation, promising complete victory.”
Hizballah is at war with Israel. The Hizballah official website shows multiple videos and provides situation reports of attacks on Israeli soldiers and also civilian sites. On 12 July, under “Islamic Resistance Operations”, the Hizballah website showed a video titled “Targeting of Israeli soldiers in the farms of the Dovev settlement 12-26-2023”. The video shows what appears to be three Israeli soldiers walking to a farm building whicjh is then hit by a rocket attack. There are daily videos of Hizballah operations directed against Israel, with titles such as “Targeting a building where Israeli soldiers are stationed in the settlement of Admit 4-7-2024”, “Targeting the Israeli army's Hadab Yarin and Birkat Risha sites 7-9-2024”, “Targeting the settlements of Kiryat Shmona, Kafr Sold and Margaliot with Katyusha and Falasteen rockets 6-14-2024.” There is no effort to disguise the fact that Hizballah is actively attacking people and positions in Israel.
* * *
That Hizballah is the party of terror, crime and war has been well known since its formation in the 1980s as evidence of its international terrorism, organised crime networks, and continual military conflict that have all been apparent. However, this has almost been taken for granted as Hizballah has been accepted as the Party of God that exists in Lebanon as a religious-social-political entity, which has allowed a semi-legitimacy to develop. As Hizballah and Israel approach open war, which could lead to a wider regional conflict involving Iran and its proxies, it is important to remember what Hizballah essentially is – a terrorist and criminal organisation. As Hizballah has not confined its terrorist and criminal activities to Lebanon in the past, if an open war with Israel starts then it is likely to extend that conflict as far as it can globally.
Note: The Romanised “Hizballah” is used in this article rather than alternatives (e.g. Hezbollah) because of the more common use of this version in the sources consulted for the research.