Israel’s military continued its invasion of southern Lebanon today, despite the 60-day ceasefire in place during which it’s meant to vacate the country.
The village of Beit Lif was the latest target, with Israeli Merkava tanks and military bulldozers arriving at the outskirts of town and shelling the area. Israeli troops armed with machine guns also invaded the neighboring towns of Yater and Ramieh.
These towns and villages aren’t far from the Israeli border but were not occupied at the time of the ceasefire. Israel has taken multiple villages in different parts of southern Lebanon since the ceasefire began and has withdrawn from only a handful.
The ceasefire was meant to see Israel leave the occupied towns and Lebanese forces to replace them. Lebanese troops are showing up in towns like Shamaa and al-Bayda, however, and are reporting that Israel has razed multiple neighborhoods to the ground.
There have been persistent reports of Israeli bulldozers leveling civilian homes across southern Lebanon, but it is only with the arrival of Lebanese forces in those areas that we see what is actually left there. Bulldozing homes for weeks after the ceasefire, the reality is that there isn’t much left.
While it can’t be definitely stated that the newly invaded towns and villages are going to face the same demolition, the bulldozers are present, and Israel has been stepping up the bulldozing of homes and infrastructure wherever it goes.
Israel has made a point of warning civilians against trying to return to their homes all across a band of southern Lebanon, and these newly invaded towns are inside that zone. Many Lebanese have been displaced throughout the war, and many are trying to return home after almost 40 days of “ceasefire,” despite the warnings against doing so.
Israeli activist are stepping up calls to just expand Israel into southern Lebanon outright and set up settlements over the ruins of the former villages that the bulldozers are in the process of destroying. They claim an “historical” Israeli right to southern Lebanon and insist that only Israeli settlements would lead to security in the region.
This seems to be an Israeli Lebensraum program. The Israeli government has many pro-expansion extremists. This is the greater Israel project in action.
To the Max.!
Which includes the USA. Some Evangelicals see it as a miracle from God. Just listened to one last night saying that "we" with god's help are making great progress in Israel. She established some "Christians for Israel foundation in her state.
There is but they're biting much more than they can swallow. While Israel tries to expand, it's simultaneously losing lots of population, especially qualified workers that are the backbone of the colonial economy (along with Palestinian quasi-slave workforce, now banned from working at all and barely replaced by Indian and African "guest workers").
Could Hezbollah be luring the IDF into a maelstrom?
Hezbollah has not utilized 1/10 of the rockets and missiles in its possession.
Could be…! Hezbollah tunnels are intact…!
And how do you know that? A significant number of Hezbollah tunnels has been discover and destroyed. The IDF has become very good at fining tunnels and destroying them.
And who told you this?
Fair question. Multiple articles from sources such as Times of Israel and Times of India. If you want to verify, google Hezbollah tunnels.
Even if they succeed and kill thousands of IDF, Israel will just take it out on the Lebanese civilians.
The Longer Israel do this… the Weaker it gets…!
I’ve heard this story before. Not likely.
This time is different…! As Israel is not able to hide its atrocities from the rest of the world…! They can have all the arms they want from US but they would still be a weak state…!
How is Israel a weak state?
Yes. This time is different indeed. They no longer need to hide the fact that they have the unquestionable backing of one the most powerful military in the world and the rest of the world can suck it as there is not a damn thing they can do about it.
Yes, unquestionable backing of US because without US they’re nothing…!
… And US was the most powerful military 20 years ago… not any more…! US and west are defenseless against Russian missiles…! The rest of the world are doing something about it… It’s called BRICS…!
4-d chess
The deal is the destruction of all Israeli infrastructure, military included. Remember that Israel is a tiny country the size of Albania and, unlike Albania, mostly flatlands.
mostly flatlands… That's is the reason they now love being on the top of Mount Hermon…!
Makes sense… unless they have fear of heights.
That scenario can only happen when the adults with the big guns step in and do exactly that. And right now, they are too busy counting their profits.
Israel is a small country of some 5 million (plus some 7 million of racially segregated peoples, i.e. Palestinians, whose infrastructure, if any, is typically separate in the “bantustans” or “the territories”), that’s like a large city and that’s pretty much what it is, just that more scattered. How many power stations they have? IDK but a handful is more than enough. How many harbors? That I know: exactly three, two of which are totally inoperative and the third almost so. How many civil airports? AFAIK one. It’s not much infrastructure to destroy, really. If the war with Hizbollah reactivates or if Iran makes a serious bombing not restricted to military facilities… that infrastructure is gone for good.
It’s a dream scenario.
How?
What you described is wishful.
It is the reality: Israel is little more than a colonial beach head and can't survive. How many aircraft carries will Uncle Sam have to get hit before "he" understands that?
Israel is luring Hizbollah to renewed war rather. Why? Because they're madmen.
Not sure of 1/10… but Hezbollah has still a lot of missiles and rockets stored underground… ! And contrary to western news of Hezbollah portrait defeat because Syria invasions cut its arm shipment from Iran… Not True…!
Unlikely. Israel hit Hezbollah hard. Killing their leaders and fighters. Blowing holes in their support troops legs. Not to mention destroying a significant number of rockets and missiles. Now combined that with the collapse of the supply chain as Assad is gone. BTW how that attack on chlorine factories that you were rooting for go?
Assad did NOT gas his own people. Take off your blinders and have a CLUE!!!
What are you talking about? I never mention a think about what Assad did or did not do. What I pointed out Hezbollah rockets/missiles supply chain is broken.
He thinks chlorine factories reference is that I think
It seems to me that this is a period where Israel is allowed to defecate a little more before the Trump administration comes into power. Yes they are pro Israel and all of that but Trump and the Republicans have a lot more on their plate than the ME. Israel has been an utter embarrassment to the US (as if America really cares). The situation allows Israel to claim "victory" and the Trump administration to try to clamp things down as they assume power. Going forward look to these markers; Trump inauguration, end of 60 day ceasefire and Syria's transition. If all goes well (inshAllah) by end of the Trump administration the US will be forced to oversee the dismantling of apartheid Israel.
If you think that Trump is going to help the Palestinians, you are in for a big, big surprise.
No, but it's not up to him. Remember when you said the Arabs have been attacking Israel for 76 years and it wasn't working out for them. The same thing can be said about US policy in the Middle East. They have claimed to be trying to bring peace but fail every time. Look what happened to Trump's Abrahamic Accords. In the past all one needed was some money, good, PR, a cache of weapons a few UN vetoes and Israel was riding high. Now, it's getting very expensive. The big jolt for the US and America is the last year is only the tip of the iceberg to come.
Trump wants to clean up the optics. He might agree to recognise important new Israeli lands, high lands, water resources. However, Trump doesn’t want atrocities.
I’m hoping they expel the Palestinians into an occupied portion of Lebanon. If that’s done, the Houthi will stop attacks. The genocide will end. The drama ends.
But maybe the drama is desired by Israel to justify future expansions.
The Palestinians of Gaza have not gone through a war of extermination to be expelled anywhere. Once there is a ceasefire, some will leave while reconstruction takes place but I don't see the majority of Gazans leaving Gaza. Anyway all of that is temporary because Palestinians all over the the diaspora will be able to return to a free Palestine.
Reconstruction? Who would pay for it? That won’t be allowed.
The upheaval in the ME is just beginning. Many places will be destroyed and then reconstruction will begin for all. The money will come from everyone in the region pitching in. Ill give the upheaval another 5-7 years.
You must expect Israel to be driven out.
The state, of Course.
Many Palestinians want out but aren’t allowed out
Its a tricky thing. Of course the majority of people could not tolerate the level of depravity they have seen from Israelis. However, they have faith and can't accept another nakba. Dying and having their humanity negated are one and the same for many Palestinians.
Do they wish to sacrifice, or do others wish them to sacrifice?
Most people in that situation presumably want food and water. If Israelis allowed a camp to open with plenty of provisions outside Israeli territory, they would go. I assume Israel could open a corridor or fly them in.
Every person speaks for themselves. We go back to worldview and ideology. Muslims who actually believe in their religion are human beings like everyone else. They happen to believe that the soul continues to exist after bodily death. So for them winning or die winning are the only 2 options.
I am sorry to say this defeatist mentality is what Israelis went through in the 40's and their whole psyche as a group of people has been destroyed and suffered because of it.
They will never understand why Palestinians have been resisating for over 7 decades. For people with dignity, its a basic human proposition live free or die.
Rantisi, Sinwar and all those who sacrificed their lives for Palestinian freedom said the same thing; Death will come from cardiac arrest or an apache helicopter, I prefer death by apache.
The oppressor wants you to submit. I don't fault the the majority of people who just want food, water and to survive. However, this mentality of "If Israelis allowed…." Who the hell are they? but low life human beings trying to subjugate others? No, we will resist and write our own destiny. We are no better than the millions Algerians or Vietnamese who were killed to be free of their masters.
The Israelis have money, power, weapons and super power backing, yet they are cowards, they are afraid.
Palestine is a tiny open air prison, persecuted islands connected in West Bank and not much remaining in Gaza.
It’s surely as bad as any people have suffered anywhere. I would want an exit to grow strong.
Some people grow stronger, some die and some despair. Those who Are dying are not dying because they hate life or want to die. They are being murdered by Israel.
how do you face that? Palestinians aren't but betrayed.
Gandhi didn't condemn armed resistence. He admits that's more difficult than non violence. The ultimate sacrifice as he saw it was to bear one's chest to the bullet.
I get the impression that others are more willing to sacrifice the martyr race than are they to sacrifice themselves.
I am not saying I agree with Gandhi. I am saying that we have been living a slow motion holocaust for over 7 decades. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. Sinwar started something that someone else will finish. As for those who talk and those who sacrifice, they know who they are.
Hizbollah recently warned Israel to fulfill the ceasefire agreement (whose 60 days transition term is expiring). This means that the Hizbollah-Israel war will reignite and it will be Israel's choice.
"Greater Israel" will be formed on the blood and tears of Israelis who the Israeli government could care less about! And the people replaced and violated by this movement will NEVER forget! It doesn't sound too promising to me!
History is often a redundancy!!!