UANI’s Eye on Hezbollah Website Provides Insights into Israel’s 2000 Withdrawal from South Lebanon

(New York, N.Y.) – Nineteen years ago, Israel withdrew its forces from southern Lebanon and unintentionally catalyzed the rise of Iran’s premier proxy, Hezbollah. United Against Nuclear Iran’s (UANI) website, Eye on Hezbollah, provides key insights into the group’s evolution and development.

Israel established the south Lebanon security zone in 1985, the last vestige of its controversial 1982 invasion of Lebanon known as Operation Peace for Galilee. The Operation’s stated goal was the elimination of the armed Palestinian presence across the northern border. Though successful in removing that threat, it led to the rise of Hezbollah, a new and more implacable foe.

The years between 1985 to May 25, 2000—the date of Israel’s withdrawal—were Hezbollah’s formative period, particularly in developing its methods of guerilla and psychological warfare. The Israeli occupation also served as the ideal excuse for the group to build a formidable military arsenal and a “state within a state” in Lebanon.

Hezbollah refused to disarm after the Israeli withdrawal, even though its ostensible goal of liberating south Lebanon had been accomplished. Instead, it filled the vacuum left by Israel and continued expanding its arsenal, beginning the next phase of its growth and transformation into the current vanguard of Iran’s regional expansionism.

Eye on Hezbollah documents this rise, with a comprehensive timeline as well as analysis reports on the development of Hezbollah’s ideology and the arc of U.S. policy to date. The website also contains a comprehensive organizational chart, detailing Hezbollah’s management and administrative structure.

To access Eye on Hezbollah, please click here.