Top Israeli officials have laid out plans to reduce military operations in Gaza to gear up for a war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. US military officials have warned that Tel Aviv’s missile defense could be overwhelmed, and Iran may enter the war. Countries around the globe are instructing their citizens to avoid Lebanon.
On Sunday, Netanyahu explained to Israeli Channel 14 that, “After the intense phase is finished [in Gaza], we will have the possibility to move part of the forces north. And we will do this, first and foremost, for defensive purposes. And secondly, to bring our (evacuated) residents’ home.” He went on to tell the outlet “If we can, we will do this diplomatically. If not, we will do it another way. But we will bring (the residents) home.”
Netanyahu did not provide a timeline, only stating the intense operations in Gaza will soon come to a close. At the same time, the Israeli leader has ruled out ending the war in the Strip, stating he will not halt the onslaught until Hamas is eliminated and “Iran’s intentions to destroy us” have been naturalized.
US officials have been warning of a wider war in the region. The White House believes bringing the fighting to a close in Gaza can end the fighting on Israel’s northern border.
Netanyahu’s recent remarks suggest that a ceasefire in Gaza is unlikely anytime soon. While the US could leverage military support for Israel to force Tel Aviv to deescalate, Washington has pledged it would come to Israel’s aid should a larger conflict break out. However, US defense officials have warned that the Pentagon may be unable to provide some of the aid Tel Aviv would need, and Israel’s aid defenses could be overwhelmed.
While Netanyahu indicated that a diplomatic solution on the northern border was possible, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said the “window of opportunity is closing.” He added that “Israel will not put up with… the situation where residents of the north can’t return to their homes.”
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown also said that Iran could come to Hezbollah’s aid should Israel invade southern Lebanon. Netanyahu claimed that Israel was ready to fight a multi-front war, declaring “We can fight on several fronts and we are prepared to do that.”
The global community is taking the risk of a wider conflict seriously. Canada is making plans to evacuate its 40,000 citizens from Lebanon, while a host of other states, including Kuwait, have instructed their citizens not to travel to the country.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Berlin was “extremely concerned” about a potential war between Israel and Hezbollah, and vowed to visit Beirut on Tuesday in an effort to resolve the tensions.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
The only reason the US talks about "Iran coming to Hezbollah's aid" is to gin up a war with Iran.
The British Telegraph paper issued a report by anonymous writers citing anonymous "whistleblowers"claiming that Iran is shipping weapons into Beirut Airport. The management there invited foreign government officials to tour the Airport (which, by the way, has a US military hangar on the airport grounds!). US and British officials did not show up for the tour.
Clearly that was another attempt by the CIA and its poodles in Mi6 to gin up the upcoming war with Iran. It's more proof that the US and Israel are going to do that, as I've said for 18 years that they would.
Hezbollah doesn't smuggle via the Beirut airport; they bring in gear overland through Syria from Iraq and by sea for the bigger stuff.
See Rachel Blevins' report here:
Report Claims Iran Shipping 'Large Boxes' of Weapons to Beirut Airport for Hezbollah w/ Laith Marouf
"Report Claims Iran Shipping 'Large Boxes' of Weapons to Beirut…" Did they say if those "Large Boxes" contain "Yellow Cake from Niger" too? Or "Iraqi WMDs?" Or "Saddam's Mobile Chemical Weapons Labs?"
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Good one! "Boxes" do not contain much. Crates, shipping containers do.
By deception thou shalt wage war.
Unfortunately, the world has been unable to put this 2 + 2 together, allowing Israel to "justify" any and all of its actions!
For 75 years.
Hezbollah has been ready a long time. Iran as well. Fighters from Iraq have joined forces. I read that the Taliban could get involved. What a mess.
Anyone thinking Netanyahu may announce the war from Congress for 100 more standing ovations?
He’d get a standing ovation for pronouncing a policy of ethnic cleaning. In fact, …
Exactly
He probably keeps a scrap book of pictures of Palestinian children that have been decapitated, heads blown up, legs missing, arms missing, mothers screaming to show his grandchildren the product of the chosen. The light to the world.
Yes the piece de resistance of sociopathic chutzpah, the ultimate humiliation of Washingon polscum.
Is that all? Will congress rise, clap, exclaim "I Love Big Brother!" ? Will that be too obvious?
When they're opening preparing for aggression like this, Lebanon would be more than justified to preempt the invasion and start targeting Israel's airports and sea ports to disrupt Israel's ability to invade.
It's best if Lebanon waits for the ASI to send in IDF troops, then NATO nations can start shipping increasingly lethal weapons and gear to Lebanon to prevent Netanyahu from taking all of Turkey, Jordan, and then Europe in his Obvious Obvious desire to re-establish the Soviet Union.
Because remember, the USA always opposes the Country That Does The Invading.
At the first move, Hezbollah commanders will order rockets fired into Israel. Because there are settlers, and settlers alone in the West Bank, and some IDF, that may be a target. We, and Israel, are making it worse, by orders of magnitude.
If Israel is hitting Hamas higher ups and their families, Israel better not cry about it happening to them. Ten members of Haniyeh's family were killed yesterday. Women, children. Non-combatants. Murdered. Israel is not targeting these kills alone.
The Lebanese trap is waiting for IDF…!
A giant mouse trap ready to snap down on a cheese eater (war monger)!
”Let there be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me! with every step I take, a Peace for eternity!…”
I'm curious as to whether Hezbollah launching thousands of missiles into Israel with little regard to civilians being killed will be called an act of "terrorism". At some point Israel lowering their rules of engagement standards in Gaza that allowed them to slaughter women and children with impunity will come back to haunt them.
Spot on wars! spot on!
Yep. The first major Israeli strike that kills many women and children will open the door to major h*ll for Israel. The video of critical sites shown by Hezbollah was just a sample of what Hezbollah knows. The electrical grid in Israel will be hit in a major fashion, which means no fuel pumps, no sewage pumps, darkness. A hit to the ammonia and chlorine plants in and around Tel Aviv and Haifa will cause a major catastrophe. Hits will be upon the Iron Dome detect and launch sites. I believe that Hezbollah may even know the launch sites of Israel's nuclear weapons. Hezbollah may have procured ground to air rockets that can knock out aircraft. I have not read anything that indicates they do, but Israel has to assume they may have. When we get involved, things will get messier.
I keep hearing the song, “Losing My Religion” as Israel justifies the destruction of Amalek using passages also found in the Bible.
Maybe sacrificing goats to Odin isn’t so barbaric after all.
Yes indeed, the full invasion and seizure of Lebanon will happen on JuLy 4th, with well over 300,000 imperial commando troops, next up will Jordan, then Syria by xmas
Israeli Officials Signal Coming Capitulation in Lebanon