What I will provide here is an overview – a brief background and description of our current situation with regard to Hezbollah, which is vastly complex. It is evolving and there are no final answers yet.
The last war between Israel and Hezbollah, in 2006, ended with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. According to its terms, Hezbollah had to be disarmed and pull back behind the Litani River, roughly 18 miles north of the Israeli border. The Lebanese army was to deploy in southern Lebanon. An enlarged United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was mandated with ensuring stability in the area. This included securing a south Lebanon “free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons, other than those of the Government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL.”
The resolution was a fiasco, primarily because Hezbollah was the superior force – stronger than a weak Lebanese army and an inept UNIFIL. I have vivid memories of the UNIFIL commander explaining that his forces only monitored the situation during the day, as it was too dangerous at night.
Oh.
To a very substantial degree the notion of Lebanon as an independent state is a myth. It is militarily dominated by Hezbollah, which is also a functioning part of the Lebanese government.
Hezbollah maintained a presence south of the Litani in spite of Resolution 1701, never disarmed and continued to bring in Iranian weapons supplied via Syria. Within its arsenal are a small number of precision rockets. The total number of Hezbollah rockets is estimated at roughly 100,000; most are unguided surface-to-surface artillery rockets. According to one assessment, Hezbollah possess “a larger arsenal of artillery than most nations enjoy.” As is true with Hamas, rockets are hidden in civilian areas.
A 2018 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies called Hezbollah “the world’s most heavily armed non-state actor.”
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-hezbollah#
There had been skirmishes between the IDF and Hezbollah over the years since 2006, but no major military confrontation. The skirmishes have sometimes focused on Hezbollah’s claim to possess an area of the Golan Heights called Har (Mt) Dov, referred to by Hezbollah as Sheba’a Farms. It is to the west of Har (Mt) Hermon in the far north of the Golan Heights. That claim is maintained today.
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Hamas and Hezbollah are both Iranian proxies, although Hezbollah more directly so. After the massacre of October 7, reports surfaced indicating that Iran had instructed Hamas and Hezbollah to set in place plans for a joint, surprise attack on Israel. Hamas, however, attracted by information about the Nova music festival, unilaterally advanced the date of the planned attack without notifying Hezbollah.
After the attack by Hamas, the element of surprise no longer existed for Hezbollah: The IDF was prepared and sending troops northward. For a short interval of time, there was concern that a major attack by Hezbollah might yet take place. But this never materialized, in part because the US deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups – first the USS Gerald R. Ford (pictured) and then the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower – into the eastern Mediterranean.
The intent was not to involve the US in hostilities, or even protect Israel, but to serve as a deterrence against escalation by Hezbollah that might draw in other nations. The strike groups were removed from the area shortly after the end of 2023.
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There are those who say we are on the verge of war with Hezbollah, and others who say we are already at war with this group. Hezbollah has been launching projectiles – rockets, mortars, drones – into northern Israel since the beginning of our war with Hamas. Israel has responded in turn. Over time the intensity of the Hezbollah attacks has steadily increased. This, at the behest of Iran, has particularly been the case since Israel went into Rafah. Hezbollah is acting as an adjunct to Hamas.
One of Israel’s approaches has been to eliminate Hezbollah commanders. Analyst Yaakov Lappin, however, says that this will not be effective: “The Lebanese organization’s structure, Iranian funding and recruitment capabilities ensure a continuous flow of personnel to replace losses.”
Tens of thousands of the residents of the north of Israel – estimates range from 50,000 to 100,000 and more – primarily in the Golan and the Galil (Galilee) have left their homes because it is not safe or tenable to remain. They are living in hotels and other temporary quarters and demand that the government provide safe conditions for their return.
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It has been broadly understood that while troops have been moved to the north and preparations are being put in place for a broader confrontation with Hezbollah, it is the preference of our government to complete the major operation in Gaza before taking on Hezbollah in a more significant manner.
This past week, however, Hezbollah repeatedly launched projectiles that started major fires in the north of Israel, in the course of a serious heatwave when grasses and shrubbery are very dry. Residents can flee to other quarters, but the vegetation (and I daresay the innocent wildlife) of the area has no such recourse. Large swaths of the land are being burned and this cannot continue.
According to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, 45,000 dunam (11,120 acres) of land have been burned just since the beginning of this month, most of them within our national parks. How beautiful that area is; a treasure for the nation, being destroyed.
In the course of a couple of days last week, Hezbollah launched over 200 projectiles into Israel.
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Yesterday, IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari put out a video statement in English, in which he said (emphasis added):
“The Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon has been escalating its attacks against Israel. Since deciding to join the war that Hamas started on October 7th, Hezbollah has fired over 5,000 rockets; anti-tank missiles, and explosive UAVs from Lebanon at Israeli families, homes, and communities.
“Hezbollah’s increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region…
“When we say that we will not let October 7th happen again on any one of our borders, we mean it.
“Because of Hezbollah’s refusal to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, because of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure…[because of Hezbollah]…fire at Israel from the area south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon, and because of Lebanon’s failure to enforce 1701 on Hezbollah, Israel will take the necessary measures to protect its civilians, until security along our border with Lebanon is restored.
“…one way or another we will ensure the safe and secure return of Israelis to their homes in Northern Israel. That is not up for negotiation.”
This is the way it works: Once there is a suggestion of a wider operation with Hezbollah, members of the international community begin to express concern about a war that might involve them.
Four days ago, even before Admiral Hagari’s latest statement, French president Emmanuel Macron, at a meeting of the G7 in Italy, began to speak about setting up a trilateral summit with the US and Israel, in an effort to secure a diplomatic solution.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-806151
What I want to know is if he had in mind a diplomatic solution that was as effective as Resolution 1701. Israel cannot rely on international guarantees. Groups such as Hezbollah understand only power.
And here is the rub, my friends. In Washington, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said:
A “ceasefire in Gaza would be the best way in our assessment to advance a meaningful resolution in the north…it’s very difficult to achieve that diplomatic resolution while there is ongoing conflict in Gaza.”
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-806151
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I tell you, my friends, I was livid over this, lost my cool.
Hezbollah is fighting to support Hamas. Of course Hezbollah would stop if Hamas is allowed to remain standing. This would mean that Iran and its proxies had won. As Israel would be required to pull out of Gaza (including from the Philadelphi Corridor) in a ceasefire deal, it would mean that Hamas could re-arm and prepare for the next massacre.
But that would be all right. Because only Israel would be affected; Biden, Macron and company would not have to worry about getting involved.
This is from a statement by Prime Minister Netanyahu two days ago, when mourning the deaths of eight soldiers:
“We are at the height of a very difficult war. This war is ongoing on several fronts, including the international front. We will face many more challenges. Especially now, we need the spiritual greatness hidden in our nation, through which we have overcome all of our enemies. That is how it will be this time as well. ‘It is a time of sorrow for Jacob, and from that – he will be saved’ (Jeremiah 30:7). Together we will fight, and with G-d’s help – together, we will win.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/391575
With help from the Almighty, may he persevere in carrying this out.
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Now US Presidential Special Envoy Amos Hochstein – about whom I have reservations – is here to discuss a “ceasefire.” I do not expect that he will have much success in light of what the Hamas demands are.
A bipartisan delegation of members of Congress is here now as well, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke to them, saying (emphasis added):
“Israel is engaged in a war against Iranian proxies – a war on Western civilization. US support in all its forms is critical not only to Israel’s victory but also to the deterrence of our common enemies across the world.”
Were any of them listening?
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From Gallant’s words, I turn to the heart of the matter regarding our problems with Hamas and Hezbollah: Iran.
The terrorists we are fighting derive their strength directly from Iran, which provides financial and military assistance and other forms of support, all to further the goal of eliminating our Jewish state. We must not forget this or let the world lose sight of it.
When Barack Obama was president, and seeking to reach an agreement with Iran, he removed sanctions, thus permitting Iran to secure additional funds. At that time, an appeal was made to Obama imploring him to add to the agreement a clause forbidding any of the funds Iran secured from reduced sanctions from going to Hezbollah. He refused. Thank you, Barack Obama.
When Donald Trump was president, he restored sanctions against Iran. But along came Joe Biden, who is unquestionably securing significant “guidance” from Obama. He again removed sanctions against Iran. The Biden administration has a great deal to answer for.
Consider this and what it means with regard to the inclinations of the Biden administration:
“U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken…on Wednesday sat down for an interview with Jalal Chahda, of Al Jazeera, at Old Doha Airport in Qatar. He did so several days after it was revealed that a Palestinian man with ties to Hamas and Al Jazeera had held Israeli hostages.
“’Al Jazeera is a Hamas mouthpiece that literally employs terrorists and has openly violated the Department of Justice’s order to register as a foreign agent of Qatar. So naturally, Blinken spoke to the outlet earlier today,’ wrote Eitan Fischberger, a Middle East analyst based in Israel.”
https://www.jns.org/blinken-pentagon-slammed-for-al-jazeera-hezbollah-linked-outlet-interviews/
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In spite of major difficulties, it appears we are making significant headway in Gaza. Reports are that only a few more weeks will be required before the operation can slow down (not end).
Again citing Yaakov Lappin, I share this (emphasis added):
“As the Israel Defense Forces ground offensive rolls on in northern, central and southern Gaza, and most of Hamas’s organized battalions are already dismantled, Hamas is undergoing a significant transformation from a structured terror army to a decentralized guerrilla force.
“According to Professor Efraim Inbar, president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS), the shift in Hamas’s combat approach was inevitable from the beginning of the conflict, when it faced coordinated Israeli military operations.
“’Hamas has no chance of standing against the IDF’s power on the battlefield, and therefore shifted to guerrilla tactics’…
“Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies and editor of its Long War Journal, pointed out that with Israel’s offensive into Gaza and the depletion of the terrorist group’s rank and file personnel, ‘Hamas’ military is no longer able to openly enforce its will on the Palestinian people. Nor can Hamas easily launch rockets, mortars and missiles into Israel.’
“Lt. Col. (res.) Peter Lerner, a spokesperson for the IDF, noted in the report that the IDF is adapting to Hamas’s transformation. He added that the IDF’s goal is not to eliminate each and every Hamas terrorist, a goal he said was unrealistic, but rather to dismantle Hamas as a governing regime.”
https://www.jns.org/hamas-devolving-from-terror-army-to-guerrilla-force/
We are in the process of taking down the last Hamas battalions in Rafah and continue to maintain control of the Philadelphi Corridor. This control is critical if Hamas is not to gain renewed strength via smuggled weapons.
“The Israel Defense Forces said Monday it has dismantled about half of Hamas’s fighting force in Rafah, killing at least 550 gunmen in the area…
“Of the four battalions in Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, two — Yabna (South) and East Rafah — are considered to be almost completely dismantled, while the capabilities of the other two — Shaboura (North) and Tel Sultan (West) — are somewhat degraded due to IDF operations.”
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One of the major difficulties, heartaches, of this past week was a series of three different incidents in which we lost soldiers and commanders – a horrific total of 12 in all. I plan to write about them and their magnificent families in some greater detail, but here honor them for their courage.
Our people are the best of the best and I salute them all.
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Keep praying to Heaven for Israel. Pray that the tears might be lifted from our hearts.
Pray for the strength and wisdom of our leaders, for the safety of our soldiers, and for the rescue of our hostages.
Pray in a spirit of hope.
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©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
