Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant explained on Friday that Tel Aviv is planning to ramp up its military operations in Lebanon. The remarks followed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting a US and French proposed ceasefire to halt the fighting on Israel’s northern border.
While visiting northern Israel, Gallant said, “We’ve been hitting Hezbollah very hard over the year, and especially in recent weeks – we will continue increasing this effort.” He continued, “We intend to bring about security to the communities in the north, and return those who left to their homes safely.”
Israel’s bombardment of southern and eastern Lebanon continued on Friday. On Monday, Tel Aviv launched one of the largest military assaults of the 21st century on Lebanon, killing over 500. The strikes have continued over the past week, with the death toll now surpassing 700.
Gallant did not explain how Israel may increase its attacks on Lebanon. On Wednesday, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were preparing for a ground invasion. “We do not stop, we continue to attack and continue to strike them everywhere. The goal is a very clear goal, to return the [displaced] residents of the north safely. To do this, we are preparing the [ground] maneuver,” he told Israeli soldiers.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is showing he is unwilling to de-escate in Lebanon. On Thursday, the US and France proposed a 21-day ceasefire on Israel’s northern border. Netanyahu’s office released a statement quickly rejecting the offer.
“The report about a ceasefire is incorrect. This is an American-French proposal that the Prime Minister has not even responded to,” the statement said. “The report about the purported directive to ease up on the fighting in the north is the opposite of the truth. The Prime Minister has directed the IDF to continue fighting with full force, according to the plan that was presented to him. The fighting in Gaza will also continue until all the objectives of the war have been achieved.”
On Saturday, Axios reported that Tel Aviv had received support for its plan to ramp up attacks in Lebanon by claiming it was a policy of “de-escalation through escalation.” However, Netanyahu now appears unwilling to de-escalate.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
I have, indeed, prayed today for little baby Israel to find the love and light of father, mother and the one true Jesus Christ, as that is the way to Peace!
Christians and Muslims can still fight.
UN member states lead a mass walkout as
Netanyahu takes the stage at the UN General Assembly.
The hall is almost empty now.
https://x.com/redstreamnet/status/1839664141595750558
Big deal. Why don't the member states DO something???!!! Hezbollah has avoided hitting civilian structures. Israel targets civilian structures. Israel is like a rabid dog, attacking, attacking, attacking. It needs to be put down.
Don’t yell at me vlp, I’m on your side.
". It needs to be put down" Another Israel hater calling for the destruction of Israel. Join the 76 year club out to destroy Israel.
It’s sort of impressive how Israel wrecked Hezbollah.
Hezbollah should reflect on how rules in war only apply if both sides follow them. They’re fighting against unbelievers. There aren’t any points for winning the moral victory.
Not many know this, but the US South used to claim it won the moral victory against the North, which used more total war. However, no one respects the South today for it.
It is impressive. Vip1730 kept proclaiming how Hezbollah will smash Israel with their 160,000 rockets. Looks Israel is destroying Hezbollah abilities.
I sort of think a Trump victory puts Israel at risk. If he wins, Dems could become anti-Israel in response. That might be Israel’s greatest risk, losing the support of the US.
That is not going to happen. The Dems are not going turn on Israel because Trump wins. Why would they?
Voters matter a bit. And voters don’t know what they believe in, form their opinions in opposition to the other side.
No, because Hillary Clinton 2.0 is on the ballot.
The people have all gone mad.
I agree. The Dems have a knee-jerk reaction against anything Trump tries to do.
The member states cannot do something as long as the U.S. has veto power.
The US only has veto power on the Security Council. It doesn’t have veto power over the General Assembly, or over the actions of individual member states.
Time to title articles, USA/Israel will increase assault on Lebanon. USA/Israel continue the Genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. USA/Israel refuse to sign Peace Agreement. There is NO Zionist Israel with the USA and time for Biden, his Administration and Congress, to be declared WAR CRIMINALS! Vote them OUT!
Hezbollah decided to attack Israel after Hamas attack on Oct 7. Now death and destruction is coming to Lebanon complement of Hezbollah. Hezbollah leaders late last year: "Hey lets fire a few rockets at Israel. What can go wrong? Oh by the way what do you think of our new pagers? "
No, Hezbollah attacked military bases in the Sheeba Farms ( Lebanon) , Golan Heights (Syria) , and Galilee ( Palestine)
that’s not Israel
LOL. All that territory is part of Israel. Quit looking at a 1947 map.
Read it and weep
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/ltd/n24/266/48/pdf/n2426648.pdf
And the really on the ground is what? Paper borders are not the same as real borders. The UN has been telling Israel to retreat back to the 1947 borders on and off over the last 76 years. No nation is gong to force Israel to retreat.
Facts-on-the-ground has failed miserably.
From Sy Hersh, the rest is paywalled and I don’t have access. Infuriating in my mind:
What does “no need” mean? They’re still slaughtering children. Does it only matter to the US if Netanyahu has standing in Israel?
They’re just going to starve them into fleeing into the Egyptian desert. They just feared Israel losing, but Israel doesn’t seem to mind withholding food, water, shelter, medical care, etc.
10 of the 11 Hezbollah leaders who decided to join Hamas in attacking Israel one day after Hamas's attack are now gone. They paid the price for their decision.
You saying all Likud leadership now are fair game ?
Would Hezbollah attack them if it could?
I am sure they are. Now let's see if Hezbollah can pull that off.
Hamas and Hezbollah start it, Israel finishes it, to protect itself.
The true sign of pathological nationalism and ethno-nationalism is the inherent belief that collective punishment, when meted out to one's enemies is justified. USA and Israel think such collective punishment is just peachy when directed indiscriminately towards Muslims of whatever ilk.
The same people would react in horror at the the idea that revenge-attacking random Americans, by Iraqis for what was done to Iraq under GWBush, is equally justified; this is the "exceptionalism" that USA and Israel embrace:
the rules we make up apply, "except" to us.
To be clear, I don’t think they care all that much about US citizens.
But they'd feign caring as they started up another coalition.
I’m sure families of Israel’s civilian victims in Lebanon and Gaza think that bombing residences is “justice”. /s
Abandon Harris @Abandonbiden24
Both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are further to the right than former President George W. Bush when it comes to indiscriminate bombings and civilian casualties. This is where we are now.
Statement by Vice President Harris on the Death of Hassan Nasrallah
• BRIEFING ROOM • STATEMENTS AND RELEASES
Hassan Nasrallah was a terrorist with American blood on his hands. Across decades, his leadership of Hezbollah destabilized the Middle East and led to the killing of countless innocent people in Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and around the world. Today, Hezbollah's victims have a measure of justice.
I have an unwavering commitment to the security of Israel. I will always support Israel's right to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists groups such as Hezbollah. Hamas, and the Houthis.
President Biden and I do not want to see conflict in the Middle East escalate into a broader regional war. We have been working on a diplomatic solution along the Israel-Lebanon border so that people can safely return home on both sides of that border. Diplomacy remains the best path forward to protect civilians and achieve lasting stability in the region.
David Miller • @Tracking_Power
This is the correct position:
IHRC is calling on the UK and the EU to deproscribe the Lebanese political group Hizbullah, and to impose full sanctions on the Israeli entity.
The latest war crime by the Israeli regime that assassinated Syed Hassan Nasrallah, and unlawful killing of possibly thousands in the attack on the Dahiyeh district in Beirut last night is yet more evidence of the genocidal and supremacist intentions of the Zionist project.
The anti-terrorism regime in the UK and EU in its entirety, and the laws on proscription in particular, have fueled dehumanising narratives that are directly implicated in the genocide currently underway in West Asia.
The fact that so many groups committed to the liberation of Palestine from colonial oppression are targeted through proscription laws simply underscores the UK and EU complicity in the supremacist violence and genocide
#DismantleZionism
IHRC @ihre
1HRC demands deproscription of Hizbullah
“When the history of this period is written, and the downfall of the Israeli settler colonial state is charted, those who supported the genociders with materiel and vocal support, or a collusion of silence, will receive just as much opprobrium. This is the last chance for those within the government structures of the UK and the EU to change their course or resign their positions.
“As for the dehumanisation of the resistance to oppression, the road to liberation is always paved with martyrs. We have seen it in South Africa, in Vietnam and so many other places, as we are seeing in Palestine.”
https://www.ihrc.org.uk/ihrc-demands-deproscription-of-hizbullah/
I’m starting to hate Kamala as much as Hillary.
BTW:
Ralph Nader @RalphNader
Hillary Clinton is out with a book on empathy. Tell that to the Iraqis and to the Libyans and to the Afghan civilians who bore the brunt of illegal wars of aggression by Bush, Cheney, Obama, and Trump which she voted for as a Senator or implemented in the Obama administration.
Now the "Butcher of Libya" has the nerve of talking about empathy. Maybe she wishes to issue a statement of material empathy/assistance to some of the next of kin of the millions who died in those countries from the bombings and the destruction of critical public health anc safety services. -R