what is hezbollah

Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group that was formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. It is led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollahs paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. Hezbollah is driven by its opposition to Israel and its resistance to Western influence in the Middle East. It has a reputation as "a state within a state" due to its extensive security apparatus, political organization, and social services network. Hezbollah has been designated as a terrorist group by the United States and many other countries due to its history of carrying out global terrorist attacks. Hezbollah is deeply embedded in Lebanese society and has participated in the Lebanese government since 1992. Hezbollah has been involved in the Syrian civil war since 2012, fighting alongside the Syrian government against the Syrian opposition. Hezbollah also supports Palestinian rejectionist groups in their struggle against Israel and provides training for Iraqi Shia militants attacking Western interests in Iraq.