Escalating Tensions: Lebanon, Israel on the Brink of a More Violent Conflict

(MENAFN) The violent conflict between Lebanon and Israel is rapidly intensifying, with the question no longer being "if" but "when" the next round of hostilities will break out. Israel has been able to achieve several tactical victories during this ongoing conflict, but it lacks the capacity to decisively defeat Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. As Israel seeks to maintain its freedom of action within Lebanon, it risks sparking an even more violent conflict than the one that was halted by the November 27 ceasefire.

This current conflict is often traced back to the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, but doing so overlooks crucial aspects of the broader geopolitical and historical context. While the Hamas attack was devastating, it led to Israel launching a military operation with the aim of inflicting collective punishment on Gaza's civilian population, with at least 413 Palestinians killed on October 7. This act of retaliation from Israel became the catalyst for the escalation, with Hezbollah taking action the following day by opening fire on Israeli monitoring equipment in the Shebaa Farms area, which is illegally occupied by Israel.

This rapid escalation has placed the region on edge, with the risk of further violence between Lebanon and Israel growing. The involvement of Hezbollah complicates the situation, making the chances of peace increasingly remote. Despite some tactical successes, the conflict remains in a volatile and unpredictable state, with the potential for a more intense outbreak of violence in the near future.

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