**Hezbollah's Emergence: How Israel's 1982 Invasion of Lebanon Shaped Decades of Conflict**

In a decisive military move, over 40,000 Israeli soldiers with hundreds of tanks stormed into Lebanon in 1982, attacking from the south, the coast near Sidon, and the air. This offensive laid siege to Beirut for two months, cutting off essential services like water and electricity. The intense bombardment and blockade resulted in the death of approximately 19,000 people, including 5,500 civilians in West Beirut.

Desperate for aid, Lebanese authorities turned to the United States, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, which formed a multinational peacekeeping force to restore order, support the Lebanese armed forces, and evacuate PLO fighters to Tunisia. By August 1982, this force had successfully managed to relocate the PLO fighters and began withdrawing. However, their mission was not over, and they were called back as violence erupted once more.

The assassination of President-elect Bashir Gemayel on September 14, 1982, triggered a brutal response when Christian Phalangist militias massacred over 2,000 Palestinian civilians in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila. Israel's indirect responsibility for these killings was later acknowledged by the Kahan Commission of Inquiry.

The ramifications of Israel's invasion didn't end there. A new era of conflict was born with the emergence of Hezbollah in 1985, galvanized by a desire within Lebanon's marginalized Shiite community to resist Israeli occupation. Former Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak underscored this point in a 2006 interview, stating, "It was our presence there that created Hezbollah."

The invasion also damaged Lebanon's relations with Western countries. Many in Lebanon and the Palestinian refugee community viewed the multinational force, particularly the United States, as complicit with Israel. From 1982 onward, Westerners became targets, and within the next decade, Hezbollah fighters had taken more than 80 Americans and Europeans hostage, some of whom suffered torture and death.

On October 23, 1983, a terrorist attack on American barracks in Beirut killed over 300 people, including 220 Marines. Minutes later, a second attack killed 58 French paratroopers. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, and some of its members later became part of Hezbollah's official founding in February 1985.

Israel continued to occupy southern Lebanon until 2000, detaining many suspected resistance fighters under inhumane conditions. This period further solidified Hezbollah's legitimacy and support among many Lebanese.

As hostilities persisted, Hezbollah captured Israeli soldiers in 2006, sparking a war that resulted in significant casualties on both sides: approximately 1,100 Lebanese civilians and 120 Israelis died. Periods of relative calm followed but were shattered by renewed violence, including the deadly attack on Hezbollah fighters and civilians on September 17, 2024, leading to nearly 500 Lebanese deaths and escalating missile strikes.

The prospects for peace have dimmed further, particularly after a brief hope rekindled by the October 2022 maritime border agreement between Lebanon and Israel. Hezbollah's solidarity with Hamas and subsequent attacks have perpetuated a cycle of retaliation, making another ground invasion seem likely. Given the catastrophic consequences of the 1982 invasion, another offensive today would likely bear similarly devastating results, especially for Lebanon's people.