Israeli strikes continue in southern Lebanon, albeit it at a somewhat slower pace over the past week. Two more Lebanese were killed and four wounded in the past 24 hours, according to Health Ministry officials, who put the total war toll at 4,304 people killed and 12,203 wounded since Israel’s invasion in early March.
Media reports are suggesting that the lower toll means the latest ceasefire is more or less “holding,” though Israeli officials are talking up the possibility of ditching it outright and launching an even bigger offensive out of already occupied Lebanese soil.
Israeli Army Chief Eyal Zamir spoke from Beaufort Castle, an occupied Crusader-era castle in Nabatieh Governorate, presented the castle as “dominating” the surrounding area, which he suggested was teeming with Hezbollah infrastructure.
Beaufort Castle, Nabatieh Governorate | Image from Wikimedia
Zamir said that Israel could quickly transition to a “swift offensive” out of the castle to seize more Lebanese territory and to destroy the infrastructure he purports to still be extent in Nabatieh, which Israel has been heavily attacking for months now.
Israel occupied Beaufort Castle at the end of May, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming at the time it proved Israel was “stronger than ever.” Hezbollah, however, insisted that there were no forces inside Beaufort Castle, and the Israelis took the Crusader fortress effectively uncontested.
Media reports on the ceasefires often take the position that the IDF relatively lower number of people killed in the past week was the result of President Trump pressuring Netanyahu, though Netanyahu was quick to reject that as “fake news.”
Netanyahu pointedly denied having sought a US “green light” for any operations, and denied that President Trump had said anything to him about not carrying out attacks, insisting Israel retains total operational freedom in the country.
The ‘ceasefire’ indeed didn’t aim to limit Israeli strikes nor their occupation at any rate, and the only thing Israel was meant to do, withdraw from a pair of small “pilot zones,” has already been postponed indefinitely.
Even the notion of not continuing to attack Lebanon is controversial within Israel’s polity, and Netanyahu’s comments are likely centered on quelling anger about the ceasefire, even if its terms don’t restrict attacks. How long Israel’s offensive will be as muted as its been in the past week remains to be seen, but the rhetoric seems to be pointing to them gearing up for a new push.
