How much support does Hezbollah have in Lebanon?

'Political and social powerhouse' is backed along sectarian lines, though all sides are likely to rally behind the group should war with Israel break out

Photo montage of the Lebanese flag, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and crowds with raised hands
There were mass protests in Lebanon against Hezbollah in 2019 but the war in Gaza has altered public perception of the group
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images / AP / Reuters)

The imminent risk of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah has put renewed focus on the Lebanese militia group and its role – and support – within the deeply divided country.

Dubbed a "state within a state", Hezbollah has "several concerns" to bear in mind when it comes to deciding its next steps, Jon Alterman, from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Vox

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Elliott Goat is a freelance writer at The Week Digital. A winner of The Independent's Wyn Harness Award, he has been a journalist for over a decade with a focus on human rights, disinformation and elections. He is co-founder and director of Brussels-based investigative NGO Unhack Democracy, which works to support electoral integrity across Europe. A Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellow focusing on unions and the Future of Work, Elliott is a founding member of the RSA's Good Work Guild and a contributor to the International State Crime Initiative, an interdisciplinary forum for research, reportage and training on state violence and corruption.