Editing Hezbollah (section)

=== Assassination of Rafic Hariri ===
{{Main|Assassination of Rafic Hariri}}
On 14 February 2005, former Lebanese Prime Minister [[Rafic Hariri]] was killed, along with 21 others, when his motorcade was struck by a roadside bomb in Beirut. He had been PM during 1992–1998 and 2000–2004. In 2009, the United Nations special tribunal investigating the murder of Hariri reportedly found evidence linking Hezbollah to the murder.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,626412,00.html|title=New Evidence Points to Hezbollah in Hariri Murder|first=Erich|last=Follath|work=Der Spiegel|date=23 May 2009}}</ref>

In August 2010, in response to notification that the UN tribunal would indict some Hezbollah members, [[Hassan Nasrallah]] said Israel was looking for a way to assassinate Hariri as early as 1993 in order to create political chaos that would force Syria to withdraw from Lebanon, and to perpetuate an anti-Syrian atmosphere [in Lebanon] in the wake of the assassination. He went on to say that in 1996 Hezbollah apprehended an agent working for Israel by the name of Ahmed Nasrallah—no relation to Hassan Nasrallah—who allegedly contacted Hariri's security detail and told them that he had solid proof that Hezbollah was planning to take his life. Hariri then contacted Hezbollah and advised them of the situation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/nasrallah-israel-used-secret-agent-to-turn-lebanon-gov-t-against-hezbollah-1.307008|title=Nasrallah: Israel used secret agent to turn Lebanon gov't against Hezbollah|date=9 August 2010|work=Haaretz}}</ref> Saad Hariri responded that the UN should investigate these claims.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/lebanon-pm-un-must-probe-claims-of-israeli-complicity-in-hariri-murder-1.307587?localLinksEnabled=false|title=Lebanon PM: UN must probe claims of Israeli complicity in Hariri murder|date=12 August 2010|work=Haaretz}}</ref>

On 30 June 2011, the [[Special Tribunal for Lebanon]], established to investigate the death of Hariri, issued [[arrest warrant]]s against four senior members of Hezbollah, including [[Mustafa Badreddine]].<ref name="BBC-30/6">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13972350|title=Hariri murder: UN tribunal issues arrest warrants|date=30 June 2011|publisher=BBC News|access-date=3 July 2011}}</ref> On 3 July, Hassan Nasrallah rejected the indictment and denounced the tribunal as a plot against the party, vowing that the named persons would not be arrested under any circumstances.<ref name="BBC-3/7">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14004096|title=Hezbollah leader Nasrallah rejects Hariri indictments|date=3 July 2011|publisher=BBC News|access-date=3 July 2011}}</ref>

On 18 August 2020, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon found Salim Ayyash, a senior operative in Hezbollah, guilty in absentia of five charges including the intentional murder of Hariri with premeditation by using explosive materials.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-08-17 |title=Rafik Hariri tribunal: Guilty verdict over assassination of Lebanon ex-PM |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-53601710 |access-date=2025-05-20 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>