Nournews: A week full of tension continued this morning in the northern parts of the Occupied Territories and southern Lebanon, with extensive attacks by the Zionist regime on southern Lebanon, indicating that Israel is seriously pursuing the idea of extending the war into the north.
Israel has long been discussing the extension of attacks on southern Lebanon and has been issuing threats against the country. But is Netanyahu capable of fighting in both Gaza and southern Lebanon simultaneously? The answer depends on many factors. However, considering the history of Hezbollah's conflicts with the Zionist regime, this battlefield seems likely to be a much deeper and more dangerous quagmire for the Israeli cabinet.
One week with the sound of war
Although the exchange of fire has been underway between Israel and Lebanon since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Operation on October 7 last year, it entered a new phase last Wednesday. On that day, thousands of pagers were detonated in various parts of Lebanon and Dhahiyeh, with thousands of people injured and 54 killed as a result. This terroristic cyber operation continued on Thursday with the explosion of communication tools. On Friday, parts of Dhahiyeh in southern Lebanon were bombarded, leading to the martyrdom of "Ibrahim Aqeel," also known as "Tahsin," a senior commander of Hezbollah's Rezvan special unit, along with his companions. Israel continued limited bombings of certain targets in southern Lebanon on Saturday and Sunday, but the attacks intensified starting Monday, targeting roads, residential areas, and defenseless civilians until Tuesday morning. Around 500 civilians have been killed by the bloody attacks so far. Israel asked people living in these areas to evacuate their homes immediately through the infiltration of their communication tools and mobile phones.
Also, continuing its threats, the Israel regime informed about its program for bombings Albegha district on the claims that missiles and drones of Hezbollah are hiding in this region.
Meanwhile, officials and heads of countries have warned Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, and members of the G7 about the dangers of an all-out war. Developments in Lebanon are expected to accelerate over the next few hours.
Lebanon's reaction to war-seekers
“Hezbollah's response will be more than a typical answer,” reminded Israel's Channel 12 TV, addressing the regime's leaders before the outbreak of an all-out war in southern Lebanon. Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah had previously promised this, making it clear that Israel would pay the price for crossing Lebanon's red lines. Evidence from the field over the past day has confirmed the realization of this statement.
Shortly after the explosion of pagers and wireless communications in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah began targeting parts of the Occupied Territories, from Haifa to Al-Jalil, with dozens of missiles. The significance of this attack lies in the fact that the Zionist regime, along with some analysts close to it, had claimed that after the explosion of pagers and other electronic devices in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah had been severely weakened and would not easily recover. However, the targeting of three sensitive points within the northern parts of the Occupied Territories demonstrated that very difficult days lie ahead for Israel.
The attack on Haifa port, one of the most important economic regions of Israel and the second-largest city in the Occupied Territories, the missile strike on the "Ramat David" military airport, which serves as the center for aerial operations against northern parts of the Occupied Territories, and the strike on military facilities of "Rafael Company," Israel’s main weapons supplier, were the three targets Hezbollah smartly selected. Although the attack was not reported by Israeli media, it showed that the pager project could not threaten Hezbollah’s core or foundation, contrary to Israel’s claims.
Before this, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of the movement, while acknowledging the seriousness of the damage to Hezbollah's communication system, emphasized the continuation of the path chosen by the group.
According to Sheikh Naim Qassem, the Deputy Secretary General of Hezbollah, the fight with the Zionists has entered a new phase called the “Open-End Battle.” In articulating this battle, one could say that its time, place, method, and boundaries are unpredictable, as Hezbollah will be active in various arenas to defend Lebanon and avenge recent aggressions.
On the other hand, in light of the comments made by Lebanese state officials following Israel's invasion of the country, Hezbollah can stand against the occupying regime with greater confidence than ever. Najib Mikati, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, has described Israel's prolonged attacks on the country as an all-out genocide.
The north will always remain in hands of south
The goal of the new and unprecedented wave of assassinations by the Zionists in Lebanon is to separate the northern front from the Gaza front and for Israel to reach an agreement to return settlers to the northern settlements. However, with Hezbollah's continued missile and drone attacks on the northern front, and even their increase, this goal has failed. This is just the surface of the issue. Behind all of Netanyahu's efforts lies a deep concern about the end of the war and the beginning of his trial within the Occupied Territories.
The reality is that even if, by some unlikely chance, the Zionist settlers return to the northern settlements, it will not change Netanyahu's fate, and this is his biggest worry. This fact was also pointed out by the British newspaper The Guardian in recent days, which wrote: "The capacity for war in Gaza has run out, and there is no longer a goal for operations in this region. This means the war must stop, which causes dissatisfaction among Netanyahu's hardline cabinet members."
However, Netanyahu's problems go beyond the demands of the far-right, and a large front has formed against him internally. Still, the continuation of the war and expanding it to another country cannot resolve the deadlock of this war for Netanyahu's cabinet. On the battlefield, Hezbollah's recent operations against Israel show that both the weapons used—from long-range missiles to drones—and the geography and number of attacks in one day cannot be compared to actions taken a few years ago. For the first time, Hezbollah has extended the range of its attacks 60 kilometers into Israeli territory. If Hezbollah, from July 12 to August 14, 2006, could defeat Israel with much fewer resources than today, by September 2024, it will surely inflict even heavier defeats on Netanyahu and drive him out of Lebanon's borders.
The history of repeated clashes between Hezbollah and the Zionist regime has proven that southern Lebanon can never be a safe place for the northern Zionist settlers.
NOURNEWS