The Relationship Between Hamas and Hezbollah

The Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflicts have raged for decades, shaping politics and alliances across the Middle East. Two major players that have emerged from these conflicts are the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.

Hamas governs the Gaza Strip, while Hezbollah holds major political power in Lebanon. Both organizations have armed wings that resist Israel's genocide of Palestinians and occupation of Arab lands, particularly Palestine. Their struggle against a common enemy has led to an alliance, albeit an uneasy one due to differences in religious ideology and regional objectives.

In this blog post, we will analyze the origins, ideologies and goals of Hamas and Hezbollah and explore the complexities of their alliance. Understanding this relationship provides insight into Middle Eastern politics and the dynamics of conflict versus cooperation between militant Islamist groups.

The History and Ideology of Hamas

Hamas first emerged during the First Intifada, a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation from 1987 to 1993. It grew out of the Palestinian branch of the Islamic fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, adopting a militant approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hamas has a Palestinian nationalist agenda infused with Islamist ideology. Its founding charter from 1988 calls for liberating Palestinian lands and replacing Israel with an Islamic Palestinian state. Due to a long history of Israel’s atrocities and failure of several national and international accords, Hamas rejects peace negotiations or a two-state solution, thus advocating armed resistance instead.

Palestinian Hamas militants carry a coffin in the central Gaza Strip, April 16, 2014. - REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Hamas began launching suicide bombings and attacks against Israeli military basis in the 1990s. It killed hundreds of Israeli forces. Israel, along with the U.S. and EU, regards Hamas as a terrorist group.

After governing Gaza since 2007, Hamas provides schools, clinics and social services to the territory’s 2 million residents. But as Israel continues occupying the Arab lands, Hamas continues to sporadically launch rockets into Israel military basis and suppressing dissent against its cause of national liberation.

Hezbollah’s Rise in Lebanon

Hezbollah meaning "The Party of God" emerged in 1982 as a militia group supported by Iran'sIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It aimed to expel Israeli and Western forces from Lebanon. It is led by Hassan Nasrallah after the assassination of its cofounder, Abbas Al-Musawi. 

Hezbollah followers adhere to the "Khomeinist" ideology of Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini that blends Shiite Islamism with resistance to Israel and the West. Its operatives gained experience fighting Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon.

After Lebanon’s civil war ended in 1990, Hezbollah entered electoral politics while keeping its paramilitary wing. It represents the country’s Shiite Muslims and has allies in government.

Hezbollah waged guerilla warfare against Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon until Israeli forces withdrew in 2000. It fought another war with Israel in 2006.

Hezbollah fighters hold flags as they attend the memorial of their slain leader Sheik Abbas al-Mousawi, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in 1992, in Tefahta village, South Lebanon, February 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari, File)

While Lebanon's official military is weak, Hezbollah’s militia is considered more powerful with an estimated 25,000 fighters. The group receives financial and material support from Iran.

Hezbollah’s adherence to Shiite Islamist ideology contrasts with Hamas’ roots in Sunni Muslim Brotherhood activism. But their shared opposition to Israel overrides theological differences.

Alliance Against Israel

Hamas and Hezbollah's alliance originated from the shared struggle against Israeli occupation. With Israel as a mutual foe, they cooperated in training, acquiring weapons and planning attacks.

In the 1990s, hundreds of Hamas operatives traveled to Lebanon to train with Hezbollah. This exchange of insurgency expertise strengthened both groups' capabilities.

Iran helped forge connections between its allies Hamas and Hezbollah. Weapons supplied by Iran and smuggled through Syria have equipped both groups.

Coordinating attacks during periods of Israeli-Palestinian clashes is another aspect of Hamas and Hezbollah’s alliance. For example, when the Second Intifada erupted in 2000, Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel to distract and stretch Israeli forces. Same happened during and after the recent Al-Aqsa Flood attacks.

However, the wider geopolitics of the Middle East has sometimes divided the two. The parent organization of Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood sided with Syrian rebels in the country’s civil war, alienating itself from Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons who backed the Syrian regime.

Hezbollah also criticized Hamas in 2017 for aligning with Saudi Arabia against Iran. Regional power struggles lead to friction between the two sides.

An Uneasy Component: Palestinian Politics

Within Palestinian politics, Hamas and Hezbollah have played both cooperative and adversarial roles. They have tactically coordinated attacks on Israel. Yet they have also contested for influence in the Palestinian territories, undermining each other at times.

Hezbollah has supplied weapons and training to Hamas to bolster its fight against Israel. But it also maintained ties with rivals of Hamas like the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and, until 2005, the PLO.

Hezbollah has sometimes mediated or attempted to mediate disputes between Palestinian factions. But overall, its relationship with Hamas in Palestinian politics remains fragile and prone to divergence.

This stems from Hamas’ nationalist focus on Palestinian issues versus Hezbollah’s loyalty to its own domestic agenda in Lebanon and Iran’s broader regional interests.

Differences in Religious Ideology

Another major difference between the two groups is religious ideology. Hamas preaches Sunni Islamism while Hezbollah follows Shiite Islamism.

Historically, Sunni-Shia divisions were exploited by regional powers to fragment the Palestinian resistance and prevent Islamist unity against Israel. In this light, Hamas and Hezbollah overcame sectarian differences for strategic alignment.

But suspicions remain within each group over the religious legitimacy of the other. Many members of Hamas view Shiite Hezbollah with religious suspicion and political wariness.

Hezbollah’s adherence to the Iranian principle of wilayat-al-faqih (guardianship of the jurist), vesting ultimate authority in the Iranian Supreme Leader, has no appeal for Sunni Hamas members.

The religious divide limits the depth of Hamas and Hezbollah’s alignment, keeping their alliance focused narrowly on military objectives against Israel rather than deeper integration.

What Does the Future Hold?

While divisions remain, Hamas and Hezbollah’s common antagonism and military threats from Israel will likely sustain their alliance in the future. They need each other to bolster their capabilities against a more powerful foe.

However, changes in the balance of power in the Israel-Palestine conflict or wider regional shifts could alter their alliance. For example, if Iran reduced support for Hezbollah, its ability to aid Hamas would decline. Geopolitics shapes their alliance significantly.

Ultimately the Hamas-Hezbollah alliance stems not from shared ideology or integration but from convergent interests against mutual enemies. It is an axis of resistance and pragmatism rather than deep unity.

This uneasy alliance will likely persist amid the ongoing struggles in the Middle East. But it could also fluctuate or dissolve based on changing power dynamics in the region. The relationship between these two militant groups remains complex and vital for the politics of the Levant.