Lebanon Crisis - A Dire Situation in International Arena

About the Author

Manna Elza John completed LL.B from Govt. Law College, Thiruvananthapuram. She did her graduation from Christ Deemed to be University in English Honours. Her areas of interests are international affairs, politics, law and debates.

Introduction

The most recent strike on Hezbollah is not an overnight event but has been brewing since years. The news of Nasrallah’s passing was shocking because West Asia has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons, the pager attack first and now the death of their leader. According to insiders, this prompted Iran to relocate Ayatollah Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, to a safe place.

History

Hezbollah plays a pivotal role in the Lebanese political system and is a Shia Muslim Political Party. It was formed during the Lebanese Civil War which took place between 1975-1990. The population of Lebanon is fascinating as under the 1943 agreement, the political powers are divided between Shia Muslim as Speaker of the Parliament, Sunni Muslim as the Prime Minister and Maronite Christian as its President. However, this was soon disrupted by the arrival of Palestinian refugees and the Israeli army’s invasion.

The Shia Muslims asked for backing from Iran, which it readily provided and thus came into being : Hezbollah-” The Party of God”. Hassan Nasrallah took over as its General Secretary in the 1990’s and since then has been assisting the group. The group has been accused at different times of committing violence outside the borders of Lebanon as well. From a militia to being a strong political force in Lebanon, Hezbollah has been one of the few forces that has been able to put up a fight with Israel and considers the victory against Israel in 2006 as a “Divine Victory”.

Repercussions and Chaos

The United States have seen Herbollah as a terrorist threat and Nasrallah has been labeled as “ specially designated global terrorist”. The European Union has also taken a stance of recognizing the group as a Terrorist group and it has been growing stronger over the years. The Gulf Cooperation Council, except Iraq, regards Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

On the other hand, Iran and Syria have been a great supporter of Hezbollah since its inception. It is depressing to observe how disorganized the world arena has become in light of the recent events, with worries of a full-fledged war emerging.

Nonetheless, from the unexpected pager attacks, to the death of the supreme leader who lived in hiding to avoid assassination, one cannot simply deny the fact that Mossad has top notch intelligence. Nasallah has been in hiding since 2006 and was rarely photographed to ensure tight security and the death comes as a shock.

The United Nations has fallen into the very place that its predecessor fell, being unable to prevent another war. The so-called democracies have been silent on the large-scale killing that is taking place in Gaza, the dire situation in Ukraine, and now the conflict in Lebanon makes one wonder if International law is in reality strong enough or if it is just a new means of hegemonic discourse. The Lebanese Health Ministry has said that over 700 people were killed including 50 children. The Declaration on the Prohibition of Women and Children and Armed Conflict of the UN describes:

“Attacks and bombings on the civilian population, inflicting incalculable suffering, especially on women and children, who are the most vulnerable members of the population, shall be prohibited, and such acts shall be condemned.”

This makes one wonder why the most vulnerable category are always victims of attacks and conflicts.

The repercussions of this attack will have a global effect and the days to come will decide the course of events to unfold.