Israel: May 31, 2000

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Hezbollah has threatened to resume combat operations if Israel does not withdraw from a ten square mile area (the Shebaa farms) that is claimed by Syria dn Lebanon. Hexbollah has fewer than a thousand armed fighters, but is a powerful political party in Syria and receives millions of dollars in aid from Iran each year. If Hezbollah goes to war over the Shebaa farms, it will be at a disadvantage. The Shebaa farms area is small enough for the Israelis to easily defend. Attacks on targets in Israel will retaliate against valuable Lebanese targets, perhaps even Lebanese army units. Syria backs Israel in its claim that Shebaa is not part of Lebanon, setting up a potential conflict between Syria and Lebanon as well.