POTENTIAL HEZBOLLAH-ISRAELI WAR

10 July 2024

By Jake and George

The flag of Hezbollah, the Shia militant terror group named by the Ayotollah Khomeini of Iran. Hezbollah has been described as a "state within a state," holding greater administrative, military, and foreign influence than the government in Beirut. (Credit Wikimedia Commons)

Saturday, July 6th marked a day of renewed Israeli strikes against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia group in Lebanon. Far from the usual activity on the nation’s southern border, the IDF sent a strike into northeastern Lebanon, killing Maytham Mustafa al-Attar, an apparent senior figure in Hezbollah’s air defense operations. Hezbollah confirmed the killing. On July 9th, two Israeli civilians in the Golan Heights were killed by a direct Hezbollah rocket hit on their car, with the militant group claiming they were targeting a nearby IDF base. It remains to be seen how this strike will affect the region, but it may be the start of a bolder IDF strategy to protect northern Israel.

The tensions started when Hezbollah struck Israeli towns with missiles from southern Lebanon on October 8th in support of Hamas' offensive in southern Israel. Since then, more than 400 Hezbollah fighters have died, alongside 19 IDF soldiers and security officers, and several thousands of civilians have fled their homes on both sides. These statistics might change as a potential war between Israel and Hezbollah is on the rise, as the Israeli government approves offensive plans in the north.

Alongside the use of trebuchets with flammable ammo to burn Lebanese plantations in fear of guerrillas hiding in them, these tensions have forced civilians in both countries to evacuate their towns and villages to more secure cities. Thousands have been displaced for months, and further hostilities would only increase the refugee and humanitarian issues for those in the line of fire. 

The Lebanese government is largely powerless to confront Hezbollah openly, and the strike in the country’s north means that thousands more feel insecure after 17 years of formal peace. Dima Sadek, a Lebanese journalist and TV host, received publicity recently by stating on her program: “Do you know who we resemble? The passengers on the 9/11 airplanes,” Sadek said about the Lebanese public. “We are like airplane passengers who do not see what is happening around them. We are being led by one person [referring to Hezbollah], and we have no idea where we are heading… The only thing that we know for sure is that this person is taking us to a catastrophe and certain death.”

The mastermind, Iran, is happy to let its militias attack innocent people and destabilize the region. Israel strategy in Gaza, clearly lacking a long-term vision, would only be worsened by a new northern front with more variables. All deserve to live free of the fear of rocket fire, but few in power are working to prevent missiles from flying.

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