Netanyahu may be ‘going for a gigantic diversion’ with Lebanon war
Paul Rogers, from the University of Bradford and author of The Insecurity Trap, says it is clear Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu doesn’t want a ceasefire “in any form” with Hamas in Gaza or Hezbollah in Lebanon, with the US presidential election coming in November.
He highlighted the Israeli military losses and difficulties holding territory after the invasions of southern Lebanon in 1982 and 2006, noting the war on Gaza has yet to be won by Israel.
“What we’re seeing now is the Israelis trying to damage the overall psychology of Hezbollah by what they’re doing. But the thing one has to remember is Israel is highly unlikely to try to occupy southern Lebanon with a ground incursion – other than a very short probing attack,” Rogers told Al Jazeera.
“The war on Gaza is failing as far as the Israelis are concerned. They cannot actually get rid of Hamas, and any kind of presence where Hamas even exists there is unacceptable to them. They are in a major bind, and it very well may be the fundamental reason why Netanyahu is going for this phase of the war with Lebanon is a gigantic diversion.”
Palestinian Authority warns of ‘dangerous escalation’
The Palestinian Authority (PA) government denounced the deadly explosions in Lebanon and offered to help treat some of the thousands wounded in Palestinian hospitals and clinics inside Lebanon.
In a statement released by Palestinian news agency Wafa, the PA offered Lebanon’s cabinet its “deepest condolences”, adding that it stands with the Lebanese people.
It warned against the consequences of this “dangerous escalation” and called on the international community to take “urgent action to prevent the situation from exploding” in the region.
Hezbollah official says armed group now in a ‘new confrontation’
Hashem Safieddine, head of Hezbollah’s executive council, says the Lebanese group will respond to the mass attacks with “special punishment”.
The group is in a “new confrontation with the enemy” now, Safieddine said.
It remains unclear what will happen next with fears of a wider Middle East war and Israeli leaders pledging to halt nearly a year of Hezbollah attacks in the north in support of the Palestinians, as Israel’s devastating war on Gaza continues.
As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu huddled with top security officials at Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv, the country’s army chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said plans have been drawn up for additional action against Hezbollah.
‘Israel is ready for war’: Troops drawn from Gaza to northern border
While the daily fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has escalated on several occasions, the bitter enemies have been careful to avoid an all-out war.
That appears to be changing – especially after pagers, walkie-talkies, solar equipment and other devices exploded in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing at least 20 and wounding thousands in a sophisticated attack Hezbollah blamed on Israel.
“You don’t do something like that, hit thousands of people, and think war is not coming,” said retired Israeli Brigadier-General Amir Avivi, who leads Israel Defence and Security Forum, a group of hawkish former military commanders.
“Why didn’t we do it for 11 months? Because we were not willing to go to war yet. What’s happening now? Israel is ready for war.”
The military also said it staged a series of war drills this week along the border. “The mission is clear,” said Major-General Ori Gordin, who heads Israel’s Northern Command. “We are determined to change the security reality as soon as possible.”
