Why is Israel attacking? What is Hezbollah? How will it affect Gaza?
On Monday, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign on southern and eastern Lebanon killing over 500 peoples and injuring over 1,646 in a single day.
Since then, non-stop bombings have killed dozens more and displaced tens of thousands. This is the deadliest Israeli assault on Lebanon since the 2006 war, and the highest daily death tall since its 1975-1990 civil war.
The brutal escalation marks a new phase in Israel’s military leadership declares readiness for a ground invasion, making an Israeli reoccupation of Lebanon’s south more likely.
What is Hezbollah?
Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Muslim political party and armed resistance group that what founded after Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon to resist the occupation of its south. In 200, Hezbollah resistance fighters forced the Israeli army to withdraw, liberating Lebanon from the 18 years illegal occupation.
Since then, Hezbollah has:
Significantly expanded its military capability and political network
Become the world’s most powerful non-state military force.
Been recognised by most analysts as the only non-state force in the region with the capacity to confront Israel. It maintains strategic alliances with Iran, Hamas, and other Palestinian groups in an effort to achieve its state goals. Liberate Palestine from Israeli occupation and resist Western imperialism and American influence in the wider region.
Today, Hezbollah is major part of Lebanon’s political landscape and social fabric.
It has become one of the country’s largest political parties, representing its Shia base in both the government and parliament.
The group has also amassed popularity as a provider of social services like healthcare and education.
Lebanese views on Hezbollah are polarized due to long time sectarian divisions and ideological differences. In recent years, government corruption and mismanagement has fuelled widespread criticism of all parties and members of the political establishment, including Hezbollah.
Despite this, many Lebanese people, including even opponents, view Hezbollah as their only defence against Israeli threats. With up to 100,000 trained fighters and an advanced arsenal, Hezbollah’s military force is far stronger than Lebanon’s national army.
How is Lebanon connected to Palestine?
The Zionist colonisation of Palestine destabilised and threatened the entire region. In 1984, Israel ethnically cleansed over 750,000 Palestinian to neighbouring countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
The mass arrival of refugees inflicted social, economic, and political instability across the region. In Lebanon, the large Palestinian refugee population exacerbated the country’s tense sectarian climate and strained its limited resources.
Palestinian refugees have since waged a struggle to return home, but Israel punished both the refugees and their host countries for any attempts.
This led to Israel’s 1966, 1968, and 1970 attacks on Jordan, and its brutal 1978 and 1982 invasions of Lebanon. These assaults aimed to threaten countries to accept the occupation of Palestine or pay a steep price.
Israel’s expansionist tendencies have been a constant threat to the sovereignty of Lebanon and all nations in the region. Israel has illegally occupied part of:
It built settlements in both the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Height, and the one in the latter still stand today, ensuring control over the territory’s resources and indigenous Syrian population.
In the past year, a small but growing Israeli movement has been pushing to invade and settle southern Lebanon. One of its leaders, Yehoshua Socol, claimed Lebanon was part of “the Land of Israel” which was “promised” to the Jewish people by “the Holy One”. Other supporters claimed settling in Lebanon had “security” benefits.
What’s been happening between Lebanon and Israel since October 8?
A day after the October 7 operation and the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Hezbollah initiated a low intensity war of attrition with Israel at the border region. Hezbollah has pledged to stop its operations only when Israel to end the genocide. But Israel has instead gradually escalated attacks on Lebanon
Why is Israel escalating now?
End Lebanese solidarity with Gaza, Israel seeks to force Hezbollah to end its solidarity campaign with Gaza so the genocide can continue with less pressure and fewer costs.
Establish a buffer zone in Lebanon
Israel wants to create a “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon without Hezbollah’s presence to allow settlers to return to northern colonies, which were evacuated under threat of Hezbollah. To achieve this, Israel may invade and reoccupy the area as it did in 1978, 1982, and 2006.
Netanyahu’s personal interests
Opponents and analysts accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the Gaza genocide and escalating regional conflict for political gain, mainly to delay new elections.
Distract from the Gaza genocide
Many analysts and leaders believe the escalation in Lebanon aims to distract global attention from the Gaza genocide and the West Bank invasions.
How is the US involved in Israel’s war on Lebanon?
The Biden-Harris administration states its goal is “de-escalation,” yet insists on providing Israel with unconditionally financial and military aid. Israel’s attacts on Lebanon since October 8 and its latest massive assault used US-made bombs and were subsidised by US aid.
The US is the only global power with direct leverage to end all this, but instead chooses to be a partner in Israel’s atrocities.
Biden and Harris refuse to pressure Israel to accept a Gaza ceasefire on stop its escalation in Lebanon. This, combined with global inaction, has emboldened Israel to widen its brutal campaign, pushing the region closer to all-out war.
Amid the latest assault on Lebanon, Israel has accused Hezbollah of “hiding” weapons in civilians’ areas and of using “human shields” without providing any evidence. Israeli media and politicians have also framed the indiscriminate bombardment of Lebanon as an act of “self-defence” and fight against “terrorism.” And fight against “terrorism.”
These are the same propaganda tactics Israel has deployed to justify the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
In Gaza, Israel has consistently used these tactics to legitimise its destruction of civilian infrastructure, like hospitals, and justify its daily massacres of Palestinian civilians.
Israel is now extending its propaganda campaign beyond Gaza to dehumanise the region’s indigenous peoples, justify its destruction, and evade calls for accountability.
Does this mean a war in the Middle East?
While neither Israel nor Hezbollah have declared war, the massive Israeli escalation may already mark the start of its war on Lebanon.
An all-out on Lebanon is guaranteed to spill over into Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as risk destabilizing Jordan. Israeli violence has already extended several times to Syria and Yemen, which it has bombed to punish solidarity operation with Gaza.
This week’s Israeli escalation has already mobilised 40,000 allied Yemeni, Iraqi, and Syrian fighters to Syria to stand by Hezbollah. In the worst scenario, a regional war could draw in Israel’s and Hezbollah’s heavyweight patrons the US and Iran.
A war involving both would be unprecedented and destabilising for the entire region. Now, nearly a year into the Gaza genocide, Israel is using its tried and true standby in order to showcase itself as a moral army simply defending itself.
Kurdish and other points of view on Nasrallah
There is no reason any Kurd to feel sorrows for Nasrallah. An enemy of the Kurds and Kurdistan in every way. A man who is responsible for the death of many Kurds and not only Kurds. Many innocent Syrians, Lebanese, and Iraqi lives have been taken a result of this man.
However, when most Sunni muslin leaders can’t give their life for depending on the rights of Palestinians against the Zionism illegal annexation and illegal invasion are supported by the Western imperialists neo colonialism projects financially by providing America war mongering for exploitation of the international capitalism status quote and Western hegemony over in the middle east regional powers.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been killed by the Israeli bombardment. He gives his life for fighting for Palestinian recistence struggle. It doesn’t matter whether Shia or Sunni are martyrs for Palestine struggle. It will always be not forgotten.
We have seen before what believing this narrative means. It means enabling Israel’s relentless bombardment as it continue to expand its colonialist project.
We know Israel lies.
We know they fabricate evidence.
We know they use the excuse of human shields to indiscriminately bomb innocent civilians.
We will not fall for it.