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‘What is Hezbollah waiting for?’
Ali Rizk, a Beirut-based security and political analyst, says the attack on Lebanon’s capital by Israel is “something we’ve never seen before”.
“Civilians here haven’t seen anything like this. This piles up the pressure on Hezbollah and many people are now asking, what is Hezbollah waiting for – why doesn’t it unleash a major attack on Israel?” Rizk told Al Jazeera.
He said that “Israel has taken out many of the military brains” of Hezbollah in attacks over the past year, but that will not make a difference if it launches a ground invasion of Lebanon.
“There are a lot of other military brains. I think the Israeli approach is to try and make Hezbollah collapse from above. But I think Hezbollah’s real strength lies at its base. And that base is represented by supporters, average fighters, and more importantly, by ideology.”
Israelis back Israeli military operations in Lebanon
Among the Israeli public, these attacks in Lebanon are quite popular, especially among those who live in northern Israel who have not been able to go back to those areas near the border since they were evacuated by the government on October 8.
There is actually joy among some of Israeli society, now that Israel has decided to deal with the problem on its northern border.
It’s quite popular across the board, even with members of Israel’s opposition. They say they support the army operations in Lebanon because they’re needed for a restoration of the balance of power along Israel’s northern border.
‘We cannot afford endless negotiations’: UN chief
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres endorsed a joint US-France plan for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon as Israel carried out a new deadly attack on southern Beirut.
“I fully support the proposal for a temporary ceasefire – allowing for the delivery of humanitarian relief and paving the way for the resumption of serious negotiations for a durable peace across the Blue Line,” Guterres told the UN Security Council.
“We cannot afford endless negotiations, as we have on Gaza, we must avoid the regional war at all costs. Gaza remains the epicentre of the violence and Gaza is key to ending it.”
Israeli attack on Beirut a ‘smack in the face’ to President Biden
According to the Pentagon, the United States was not involved in this latest operation conducted by the Israeli military inside Lebanon.
It also had no advanced knowledge. However, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was on the telephone with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant while the operation was under way.
What details were shared – whether there will be further developments that are similar in nature – we do not know. All we know is the United States was informed of the operation as it was ongoing.
The United States says it is continuing to push for diplomacy. This attack is a smack in the face to the Biden administration. It is a smack in the face to Joe Biden.
For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to override professional courtesy and the military aid is a huge discourtesy and disrespect, not only the United States but to President Biden personally.
