Netanyahu’s far-right allies pushing for harder line on Hezbollah
There are 60,000 people from 28 Israeli towns and villages who have been evacuated from the border area since pretty much the start of the war and they want to go home. Netanyahu is under pressure to get them home somehow, although he is, as is quite often reported in Israel, very cautious.
Lebanon divided over Hezbollah’s response to Israel
Hezbollah is still treading carefully. It is still complying with the unwritten rules of engagement with Israel. The conflict is largely confined to the border region and to military targets.
Every now and then, Hezbollah raises the level to send a message. Nasrallah’s speech, a very defiant speech, yesterday was all about messages to Israelis that “we do not want war, but that doesn’t mean we are afraid of war”.
What Hezbollah has been trying to do is deter Israel from widening this conflict.
How much support Hezbollah has in Lebanon is debatable but there is no doubt it has its support base. They back its decision. But there’s also a segment of the population in this country that believes Hezbollah opening up this front is just going to cause more suffering to a country that has all but collapsed economically.
Israeli drone attack on car killed one in southern Lebanon: Report
Lebanon’s National News Agency reports that the drone fired a series of missiles at a vehicle travelling towards the town of Srifa.
The attack killed one person, according to Lebanon’s Annahar news site.
The reported casualty comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah after the Lebanese group’s leader warned that “no place” in Israel would be safe if a full-scale war breaks out.
