Israel Preps Final Blow To Hezbollah

Israel appears to be preparing to resume the war on Lebanon with the aim of dealing a final blow to its longtime nemesis, Hezbollah.

Six months into a ceasefire brokered by the United States, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continue to escalate against Hezbollah. The group has so far refrained from responding.

The Israeli escalation reached a new stage on May 22, when a series of strikes hit 15 alleged sites of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and in the eastern Beqaa Valley. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency described the strikes, which mainly hit the town of Toul and the heights near the town of Bodai as “the most violent” since the start of the ceasefire.

The IDF later announced that the strikes on the Beqaa Valley targeted a site where rocket launchers and other weapons were stored. It also said that additional rocket launchers were hit in southern Lebanon.

During a speech on May 25, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, warned that the war with Israel was not over, noting that the group was considering “other options.”

“Don’t ask me what the alternatives are. But know this – the resistance does not tolerate humiliation and will never surrender. We’re giving the state time, but it must act,” the leader said.

The IDF escalated again on May 27, launching two drone strikes on southern Lebanon. One of the strikes hit the town of Majdal Zoun, killing a member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force. The other, killed the group’s top commander in the town of Yater.

On May 28, the IDF announced that it was reorganizing its defenses along the Lebanese border. It also announced that it had killed 180 members of Hezbollah, including 38 senior commanders and another 28 lower-ranking officers, since the start of the ceasefire on November 27.

Also on the same day, the military’s Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, vowed during a visit to the Northern Command headquarters, that Israel will continue to “weaken” Hezbollah.

On May 29, an Israeli strike killed a member of Hezbollah near Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon. Later on the same day, a more violent wave of strikes hit the region, with some even targeting areas close to the city of Sidon. The IDF claimed that the targets were military facilities and other infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah.

The Israeli escalation against Lebanon began as talks of a new ceasefire and hostage agreement in the Gaza Strip began to gain momentum. The IDF may be planning to resume full-on operations against Hezbollah, once its offensive in the Palestinian enclave comes to a halt.

https://southfront.press/israel-preps-final-blow-to-hezbollah/