Israel Prepared for ‘All-Out War’ in Lebanon Against Hezbollah
The Facts
The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it had approved plans to mount a ground assault into Lebanon. The statement came only hours after Lebanon's Hezbollah released drone footage of the Israeli city of Haifa showing civilian and military infrastructure.
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have slowly escalated since fighting erupted along the border shortly after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. US special envoy Amos Hochstein was in Beirut on Tuesday to meet with Lebanese officials and try to de-escalate the situation.
The Spin
The US is doing everything it can to both ensure that Israel can eliminate Hamas' military capabilities and prevent regional escalation. Israel must be able to defend itself from terrorist attacks, whether from Gaza or elsewhere. Nonetheless, it is not in the US or Israel's best interest to see the conflict escalate, and calm must be restored in the north and south.
Hezbollah's escalations on the border will soon need to be addressed with overwhelming military force. Though a full-blown war with Hezbollah would be painful on the home front, Israel must take this existential terrorist threat seriously. Hezbollah, which is far more dangerous than Hamas, is not deterred, and Israel will have to remove it from south Lebanon with force if an agreement or understanding is not reached.
The Biden admin., increasingly anxious over the upcoming election, has resorted to cheap tactics to deny its support for Israel's brutal war. Regardless of the spin, Biden has armed Israel, given it diplomatic cover, and refused to effectively curb Israel's genocidal behavior — all of which incentivizes continued bloodshed. Israel simply could not continue to wage war if the US was not providing it a blank cheque.
Hezbollah and the regional resistance continue to demonstrate their military capabilities. Ultimately, the resistance's primary goal is to end the war in Gaza, not start a far larger regional conflict. However, Israel's genocidal actions and constant threats may indicate that a larger war is coming. Indeed, Hezbollah is ready to defend Lebanon.
