There has been tension between the countries for eons, I'm sure the list of grievances between the countries are long. The recent fighting has been set off by Hezbollah, a militant fundamentalist group, kidnapping two Israeli soldiers. Hezbollah basically controls a southern Lebanon and is based in a southern secton of Beirut. The Lebanese gov't has been criticized for not cracking down on Hezbollah. It looks like Israel initially kept the fighting confined to the south, but now it's spread and travel within Beirut is impossible because Israel has bombed the only international airport, bombed major bridges and roadways that lead out of the country.
I hope there's a ceasefire soon because things are getting out of hand. Plus, a good friend of mine is stuck there indefinately...he was supposed to come home on Monday, but it looks like he's going to be in Lebanon for a while 🙁 I'm worried sick about him and his family