A series of Israeli raids on southern and eastern Lebanon, almost the same areas, have been repeated for months, from Al-Khardali to the highlands of Iqlim Al-Tuffah all the way to the Western Bekaa.
The Israeli army also repeats its story. He confirms that his warplanes raided a training and rehabilitation complex used by Hezbollah’s Radwan Force unit.
Leaks regarding a massive Israeli attack
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The escalation of the Israeli occupation comes in light of leaks from the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation that the army has completed preparing a plan in recent weeks to launch a large-scale attack against sites belonging to Hezbollah, if the government and army in Lebanon fail to implement their pledge to dismantle the party’s weapons before the end of this year.
The occupation’s intentions were confirmed by Lebanese officials, who indicated that they had received warnings from Arab countries about a possible Israeli attack.
Internally, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed on Arab TV that the inventory of weapons south of the Litani will take place by the end of the year, and will be completed in the rest of the country by the end of next year.
Salam’s statements were rejected by Hezbollah, which confirmed through its Secretary-General that the cessation of hostilities agreement was linked exclusively to the south of the Litani.
The same matter is emphasized by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of the party, as he stressed that Lebanon is negotiating on axioms, including restricting weapons to the southern Litani region.
“Negotiation blocks the path to escalation.”
In this regard, writer and political researcher Asaad Bishara believes that “when the occupation escalates its campaign of leaks and threats, it wants to impose something on the negotiating table,” stressing that what it is doing cannot be ignored.
Speaking to Al-Arabi TV from Beirut, Bishara asserts that raising the level of negotiation by Lebanon has blocked the way for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seeking escalation, and thus “the matter is in the interest of the Lebanese state, and buys it more time.”
Bishara points out that exposing Lebanon to bidding is “an escape from reality, and an attempt to hold responsible the state that did not decide to start the attribution war,” as he put it.
“There is no charter for the Israeli enemy.”
On the other hand, writer and political researcher Dr. Ali Hamiyah points out that Lebanon is dealing with “an enemy that has no covenant or covenant, and therefore guarantees cannot be taken from it,” adding that “putting Simon Karam in the mechanism meetings will not end Israel’s pretexts.”
Speaking to Al-Arabi TV from Beirut, Hamiyah added that Lebanon has implemented all the provisions of Resolution 1701, which Israel did not do, noting that the Lebanese army announced that all of southern Litani was under its command.
Regarding disarming the resistance, Hamiya explains that the environment of southern Lebanon is an environment of resistance, given the attacks it has been subjected to, and its residents want to stand behind the Lebanese army.
Consensus in Israel regarding Lebanon
From Haifa, Mtanes Shehadeh, director of the Israel Studies Program at the Mada al-Carmel Center, says that it cannot be ruled out that Israel will resume the war in a different way than before, or expand its current military operations.
Speaking to Al-Arabi TV, Shehadeh continued that Israel wants to put pressure through threats and attacks on Lebanese territory, to push the government to confront Hezbollah and disarm it, “despite its awareness of the difficulty of the matter.”
He points out that Israel – regardless of the composition of its government – is witnessing a consensus among its security, military and political institutions regarding Lebanon, and that there is a decision to complete the disarmament of the resistance there.
