TOPSHOT – On June 12, 2024, Israel launched an air strike on Zibqin in southern Lebanon, with thick smoke billowing from the scene.
Kavanagh Tharju | AFP | Getty Images
Israel’s military approved an offensive in Lebanon after a surge in cross-border fighting, with talk of “all-out war” raising fears that the conflict in Gaza could spread to the wider Middle East.
The Israeli military said late Tuesday that the IDF commander “approved and verified the operational plan for the offensive in Lebanon and made a decision to continue to strengthen the combat readiness of the troops on the battlefield,” but did not disclose whether the move was effective. Mobilize troops into neighboring countries.
Israel and Hezbollah, which controls much of Lebanon, have been fighting since October, while the Jewish nation has also waged war in Gaza against the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Hamas and Hezbollah both benefit from Iranian support, and the Lebanese group claims solidarity with the plight of the Palestinian people – more than 37,000 people have been killed since the offensive began, according to the local health ministry.
Hostilities intensified after the Israel Defense Forces reported last week that an Israeli attack on the southern Lebanese village of Juaiya killed senior Hezbollah commander Sami Taleb Abdullah and three other group operatives. As recently as Wednesday morning, the Hezbollah-aligned Mannar TV news outlet reported, according to Google Translate, that the group had launched a missile attack on an Israeli soldier position in Metura, Israel. CNBC could not independently confirm the report.
After IDF declares Hezbollah posted a nine-minute video Aerial footage purportedly taken by an unmanned reconnaissance drone. The Lebanese group said the area shown in the video was 6.5 square kilometers (2.5 square miles) larger than Israel and 24 kilometers (nearly 15 miles) from Lebanon’s border with Palestinian territories, which it claimed included the port of Haifa and the military base and Rafael Military complex. CNBC was unable to verify the video and contacted the Israel Defense Forces about its authenticity.
According to Reuters, the video sparked fear and anger in Israel, with Haifa Mayor Yonah Yahav likening it to “psychological terror for the residents of Haifa and the north.”
Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a social media update His country is now “very close to the moment of deciding to change the rules against Hezbollah and Lebanon. In a total war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be severely hit.”
Katz acknowledged that this could take a toll on Israel, which is strained by a simultaneous battle with Hamas in the Gaza enclave and faces growing international pressure to limit Palestinian civilian casualties.
“The State of Israel will pay a price on the front lines and at home, but with a strong and united state and the full power of the Israel Defense Forces, we will restore security to the residents of the north,” the foreign minister said.
“I remind everyone that according to the United Nations, there is no territorial dispute between Lebanon and Israel – there is no territorial dispute,” Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said. at a news conference on tuesday. “Whether diplomatically or militarily, no matter what, we will ensure the safe return of Israelis to their homes in northern Israel. This does not require negotiation.”
Thousands of Lebanese and Israeli civilians have fled border-facing settlements due to security concerns.
“A greater war”
The two neighbors have been in a nominal U.N.-brokered ceasefire since a 34-day war in 2006. Senior U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein met with Israeli and Lebanese leaders earlier this week.
“Let me be clear: the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah along the Blue Line (the dividing line) has gone on long enough,” Hochstein said at a press conference on Tuesdayduring a visit to Beirut.
He emphasized the White House’s desire to avoid the conflict spilling into a wider war, noting: “The conversations I had today in Beirut and yesterday in Israel were all because of the seriousness of the situation, which we have escalated over the past few weeks, and (U.S.) President (Joe) ) What Biden wants to do is avoid further escalation into a larger war, and that’s the effort here.
Lebanon has since sought to distance itself from the hostilities.
According to Google Translate, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Naguib Mikati said when meeting with Hochstein: “Lebanon does not seek to escalate the situation. What is needed is to stop Israel’s continued aggression against Lebanon and restore calm and stability on the southern border.” . Comments from his office.
About The Author
