Israeli leaders are celebrating the success of their offensive against Hezbollah, which began with the use of weaponized communications and escalated to relentless airstrikes.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant praised the strikes, declaring, “Today was a masterpiece… This is the most challenging week Hezbollah has faced since its inception, and the results are undeniable.” He claimed that thousands of rockets, capable of endangering Israeli lives, were destroyed. However, Lebanon reports that over 550 of its citizens, including 50 children, have died—almost half the casualties recorded during the month-long conflict with Hezbollah in 2006.
Israel believes that a vigorous military campaign will compel Hezbollah to capitulate, causing its leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iran’s allies to reconsider the cost of resistance. With the ongoing situation in Gaza turning into a quagmire after nearly a year of conflict, Israeli politicians and military leaders are in desperate need of a victory. The surprise attack by Hamas last October caught Israel off guard, which had underestimated the threat.
In contrast, Israel has been preparing for this confrontation with Hezbollah since the last war ended without resolution in 2006. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees significant progress in the current offensive aimed at shifting the power dynamic away from Hezbollah. His goal is to prevent rocket fire from Lebanon into Israel and to push Hezbollah back from the border while dismantling military assets that pose a threat.
Is Lebanon facing another Gaza-like situation? Recent events in Lebanon echo the last year of conflict in Gaza. Israel has issued warnings to civilians, similar to those given in Gaza, urging them to evacuate areas targeted for attack. It accuses Hezbollah, just as it did Hamas, of using civilians as human shields.
Critics, along with Israel’s adversaries, argue that these warnings have been too vague and insufficient for families to safely evacuate. International humanitarian law mandates the protection of civilians and prohibits indiscriminate or disproportionate use of force.
While some of Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel have struck civilian areas, violating the very laws meant to protect them, they have also targeted military installations. Israel and its key Western allies, including the US and UK, classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
Israel maintains that its military acts with moral intent and adheres to the rules of war. However, its actions in Gaza have drawn significant global condemnation. An escalation into a broader border conflict would only intensify the divide in this already polarized debate.
