What is Hezbollah, and how will it influence the Israel-Hamas war?

Hezbollah fighters rise their group flags and shout slogans, as they attend the funeral procession of two comrades killed by Israeli shelling, in Kherbet Selem village, south Lebanon. Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP

The Party of God

Hezbollah, or the Party of God, is one of the most important Islamist movements in the Middle East. Based in Lebanon, it has a powerful military wing, which is the focus of current concern, but it also runs a political party that wields decisive influence, TV stations and an extensive network of welfare services including clinics and schools. Its sprawling business interests, both licit and illicit, bring in hundreds of millions of dollars.