Edge of Conflict: Israel and Hezbollah Nearing All-Out War

[Social Media]

 

As the conflict in Gaza drags on, the prospect of another devastating war in the Middle East looms ever larger. Israel and Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese armed group backed by Iran, have been engaging in a simmering conflict along their shared border for the past nine months. Should this confrontation escalate to full-scale war, the consequences could far surpass the destruction seen in Gaza, potentially involving Iranian-backed militias from Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, spreading chaos across the region and drawing in the United States. Direct intervention from Iran itself is not out of the question, leading the United Nations to warn of a "catastrophe beyond imagination."

 

 

Currently, a low-level conflict persists along a 120km stretch of border, but any spark could ignite a widespread conflagration. On October 8th last year, just a day after Hamas militants launched a deadly assault from Gaza, killing about 1,200 Israelis and taking 251 hostages, Hezbollah began firing at Israeli targets from Lebanon. Claiming to act in support of Gaza, the Shia Islamist group soon found itself in a tit-for-tat exchange of fire with Israeli forces.

 

Hezbollah, also a political party, is the most formidable force in Lebanon. Like Hamas, it is designated a terrorist organization by many countries, including the UK and the US. Unlike Hamas, however, Hezbollah possesses an arsenal that can significantly threaten Israel, with more than 150,000 rockets and missiles, some precision-guided, capable of causing extensive damage across the country.

 

 

Hezbollah, whose name translates to "The Party of God," wields more arms than many sovereign nations. Its backer, Iran, which denies Israel’s right to exist, is more than willing to train and fund those opposed to the Jewish state. The conflict has been intensifying, with thousands of cross-border strikes. Several countries have already advised their nationals to leave Lebanon urgently, including Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, and Saudi Arabia. The UK has issued a travel advisory against all travel to the country, urging Britons who are there to leave while they still can.

 

 

So far, the violence has primarily targeted military installations near the border, adhering to established red lines. Israeli officials report that 33 people have been killed in Hezbollah attacks, mostly soldiers. Lebanon’s losses are higher, with 466 reported dead, primarily fighters, according to its Ministry of Health.

 

One of Hezbollah’s top commanders, Mohammed Nimah Nasser, was a significant target for Israel. A veteran of the 2006 conflict with Israel and subsequent engagements in Syria and Iraq, Nasser had “planned, led, and supervised many military operations against the Israeli enemy” in recent months, according to Hezbollah. His death came on July 3rd in Tyre, when an Israeli airstrike incinerated his car in broad daylight.

 

In south Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, Nasser was given a hero’s funeral, complete with military honors. The event was meticulously organized and strictly segregated, with men and women, including the press, kept separate. His coffin, draped in Hezbollah's yellow flag, was borne by pallbearers in camouflage uniforms and red berets, flanked by ranks of fighters standing at attention. A brass band in spotless white uniforms played somber tunes, lending the ceremony the air of a state funeral in a country lacking a functional state.

 

Lebanon is a nation in crisis, with no president, a caretaker government, and a shattered economy. Sectarian divisions and endemic corruption have left its citizens to fend for themselves. Many Lebanese are exhausted and dread the prospect of another war. But at Nasser's funeral, the mood was one of defiance and readiness for martyrdom, if necessary. Hassan Hamieh, a 35-year-old nurse, expressed his resolve: “We are not afraid. In fact, we are longing for an all-out war. Martyrdom is the shortest path to God. Young or old, we will all take part in this war, if it is forced upon us.”

 

Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has made it clear that while the group is prepared for war, it is not eager for it. He has stated that Hezbollah will cease fire if a ceasefire is agreed upon in Gaza. Whether this will satisfy Israel remains uncertain. Israel perceives Hezbollah as an ever-present threat too close to its borders and demands that the group pull back.

 

There have been numerous aggressive declarations from both sides. Israel’s Education Minister, Yoav Kish, has threatened that Lebanon would be “annihilated” in the event of war. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has warned that the country would be returned “to the stone age.” As the cycle of attacks and reprisals continues, families are torn apart. Recently, an Israeli couple was killed by Hezbollah rockets as they drove home in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, leaving behind three teenage children. In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike killed three children aged between four and eight, whose parents were Syrian farm workers.

 

A month ago, the IDF approved “operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon.” Currently, no tanks have crossed the border, and there has been no political decision to launch a full-scale attack. Israel is still deeply engaged in Gaza, and fighting on two fronts could stretch its military capabilities to the limit. However, without a diplomatic resolution between Israel and Hezbollah, the possibility of all-out war remains a looming threat.

 

Credit: BBC 2024-07-19

 

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[nobodysfriend]

11 hours ago, Social Media said:

leading the United Nations to warn of a "catastrophe beyond imagination."

 

After witnessing what happened in Gaza , not much is left that could be ' beyond imagination ' .

 

11 hours ago, Social Media said:

Hezbollah possesses an arsenal that can significantly threaten Israel, with more than 150,000 rockets and missiles, some precision-guided, capable of causing extensive damage across the country.

 

Israel should have opted for peace after much of Gaza was destroyed .

But , no , they wanted the complete destruction . No empathy shown for the thousands of dead women and kids , the bombing of hospitals and refugee camps ...

Nazi Israel wants the palestinian holocaust and , despite international criticism , continues the total destruction ...

Of course these actions do not lead to peace , but a broader war .

Sad .

This was predictable .

[thaibeachlovers]

11 hours ago, Social Media said:

A month ago, the IDF approved “operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon.” Currently, no tanks have crossed the border, and there has been no political decision to launch a full-scale attack. Israel is still deeply engaged in Gaza, and fighting on two fronts could stretch its military capabilities to the limit. However, without a diplomatic resolution between Israel and Hezbollah, the possibility of all-out war remains a looming threat.

All israel has to do to stop the conflict with Hezbollah is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. That they won't says to me that they want a war in Lebanon. Netanyahu probably wants it as the Gaza thing can't continue too much longer, and once it's over there is likely a prison cell waiting for him. War in Lebanon extends his days of importance.

 

For sure, Hezbollah learned the lessons of the last israeli invasion and will not be so easily overcome.

Anyone knows the actual history of israel's wars knows that it was always a near thing for them- they were never the invincible army of the propaganda.

[nobodysfriend]

11 hours ago, Social Media said:

Israel’s Education Minister, Yoav Kish, has threatened that Lebanon would be “annihilated” in the event of war.

 

I still see parallels with Nazi Germany threatening the annihilation of Poland ...

 

Different story : An abused kid often becomes an abuser once grown up ... a deeply embedded psychological reaction ... I never knew that this seems possible for whole Nations ...

[nobodysfriend]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Netanyahu probably wants it as the Gaza thing can't continue too much longer, and once it's over there is likely a prison cell waiting for him

 

You nailed it .

[thaibeachlovers]

16 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Of course these actions do not lead to peace , but a broader war .

Sad .

This was predictable .

Entirely. The real danger to us though is that if israeli army goes into Lebanon and gets destroyed the US may send the US military into the conflict and then IMO it's regional war. Iran is probably hoping for that, especially if Trump is president.

Edited July 19 by thaibeachlovers

[NativeBob]

this is BBC. Nuff said.

[RichardColeman]

As these people cannot live with each other there really is only2 solutions to this : 1. The total annihilation of the jewish state , or 2. the total annihilation of muslims in the nearby area. There is no two state solution that will be acceptable to either side. We all just have to hope for the best that we will all be dead before they nuke each other

 

 

[novacova]

2 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

As these people cannot live with each other there really is only2 solutions to this : 1. The total annihilation of the jewish state , or 2. the total annihilation of muslims in the nearby area. There is no two state solution that will be acceptable to either side. We all just have to hope for the best that we will all be dead before they nuke each other

 

 

As long as Israel/Islam exists together in the region, there will be perpetual conflict 

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, NativeBob said:

this is BBC. Nuff said.

Even the BBC can be right, occasionally.

[thaibeachlovers]

18 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

As these people cannot live with each other there really is only2 solutions to this : 1. The total annihilation of the jewish state , or 2. the total annihilation of muslims in the nearby area. There is no two state solution that will be acceptable to either side. We all just have to hope for the best that we will all be dead before they nuke each other

 

 

A total annihilation of muslims in the nearby area would never be accepted by Muslims worldwide, and there are quite a lot of them. I suspect that if israel did that a lot of presently sympathetic to israel western countries would look the other way while retribution took place.

 

IMO, the pre October 7 situation will continue while hypocritical western nations pretend it's not happening. Welcome to the forever war, a carbuncle on the planet.

[Stargeezr]

Isw Hezbollah actually lebanese, or is it another terrorist group backed by Iran, who claim to be Lebanese?  Just curious.

Harvey M

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, Stargeezr said:

Isw Hezbollah actually lebanese, or is it another terrorist group backed by Iran, who claim to be Lebanese?  Just curious.

Harvey M

Given israel's many assaults in Lebanon, I doubt they have a problem finding Lebanese recruits wanting to kill israelis, but for sure they are supported by Iran.