Deadly fighting between Israel and Iran-backed militant groups has ramped up in recent weeks as the Israeli military expands its attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
Along with Hamas, which attacked Israel on October 7, Hezbollah and the Houthis are part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance,” an alliance of Islamist militias spanning Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen. The proxies give Iran strategic depth against its enemies.
In support of Hamas and Palestinians, Hezbollah and the Houthis have launched regular attacks on Israel over the past year. They have vowed to keep fighting until the war in Gaza ends.
Here’s what to know about the groups:
Hezbollah: The Lebanese group is believed to be the most heavily armed non-state group in the world. The Shiite group emerged out of Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Israel occupied southern Lebanon for 22 years before it was driven out by Hezbollah. In 2006, Hezbollah and Israel fought a war for 34 days, which ended with no clear victor.
The Houthis: The Shiite group, bolstered by Iranian weapons and technology, has been fighting Saudi-backed forces for more than a decade in Yemen’s civil war. While the Houthis do not pose as much of a threat to Israel as Hamas and Hezbollah, they have wreaked havoc over the past year in the Red Sea, where they have launched strikes at commercial ships they deemed linked to Israel and its allies, threatening to choke global trade.
Hamas: The group emerged in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, a Sunni Islamist group from Egypt. Hamas considers Israel an occupying power and its goal is to liberate the Palestinian territories. Hamas receives funding, weapons and training from Iran.
The US has designated Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations.
