MerkavaThe Merkava (מרכבה, mɛʁkaˈva, "chariot") is a series of main battle tanks used by the Israel Defense Forces and the backbone of the IDF's armored corps. The tank began development in 1970, and its first generation, the Merkava mark I, entered official service in 1979. Four main variants have been deployed. As of 2023, the Merkava mark IV is the latest version. The Merkava was first used extensively in the 1982 Lebanon War. The name "Merkava" was derived from the IDF's initial development program name.
History of LebanonThe history of Lebanon covers the history of the modern Republic of Lebanon and the earlier emergence of Greater Lebanon under the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon, as well as the previous history of the region, covered by the modern state. The modern State of Lebanon has existed within its current borders since 1920, when Greater Lebanon was created under French and British mandate, resulting from the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I.
HadashHadash (חד״ש), an acronym for HaHazit HaDemokratit LeShalom uLeShivion (הַחֲזִית הַדֶּמוֹקְרָטִית לְשָׁלוֹם וּלְשִׁוְיוֹן; al-Jabhah ad-Dimuqrāṭiyyah lis-Salām wa'l-Musāwah, abbr. الجبهة) is a left to far-left political coalition in Israel formed by the Israeli Communist Party and other leftist groups. The party was formed on 15 March 1977 when the Rakah and Non-Partisans parliamentary group changed its name to Hadash in preparation for the 1977 elections.
IsraelisIsraelis (יִשְׂרְאֵלִים; إسرائيليين) are the citizens and nationals of the State of Israel. The country's populace is composed primarily of Jews and Arabs, who respectively account for 75 percent and 20 percent of the national figure; followed by other ethnic and religious minorities, who account for 5 percent. Early Israeli culture was largely defined by communities of the Jewish diaspora who had made aliyah to British Palestine from Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa in the late-19th and early-20th centuries.
Litani RiverThe Litani River (Nahr al-Līṭānī), the classical Leontes (Léontes), is an important water resource in southern Lebanon. The river rises in the fertile Beqaa Valley, west of Baalbek, and empties into the Mediterranean Sea north of Tyre. Exceeding 140 km in length, the Litani River is the longest river in Lebanon and provides an average annual flow estimated at 920 million cubic meters. The waters of the Litani both originate and flow entirely within the borders of Lebanon.
Aerial bombing of citiesThe aerial bombing of cities is an optional element of strategic bombing, which became widespread in warfare during World War I. The bombing of cities grew to a vast scale in World War II and is still practiced today. The development of aerial bombardment marked an increased capacity of armed forces to deliver ordnance from the air against combatants, military bases, and factories, with a greatly reduced risk to its ground forces.
Lebanese Shia MuslimsLebanese Shia Muslims (المسلمون الشيعة اللبنانيون), historically known as matāwila (متاولة, plural of متوال mutawālin ([Lebanese pronounced as متوالي metouali or matawali ]) refers to Lebanese people who are adherents of the Shia branch of Islam in Lebanon, which plays a major role along Lebanon's main Sunni, Maronite and Druze sects. According to the CIA World Factbook, Shia Muslims constituted an estimated 31% of Lebanon's population in 2022. Most of its adherents live in the northern and western area of the Beqaa Valley, Southern Lebanon and Beirut.
