Israel-Lebanon - a new outbreak of tension by Viktor Mikhin!
(2024-07-07 at 15:36:23 )

Israel-Lebanon - a new outbreak of tension by Viktor Mikhin!

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant demagogically and falsely declared during a visit to Washington,D.C. that his country does not want war in Lebanon, but at the same time is prepared to inflict "enormous damage" on Hezbollah if diplomacy fails. "We do not want war, but we are preparing for every scenario," Gallant told reporters, trying to conjure up an image of a dove of peace and mislead the world. "Hezbollah understands very well that if war breaks out, we can inflict enormous damage on Lebanon," the defence minister said ominously.

Israeli defence ministers visit to the United States

Israels defence minister spent three days in Washington,D.C. meeting with officials in an attempt to resolve differences over United States arms supplies in a quiet and peaceful manner, in contrast to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus more confrontational and brash approach to the issue.

After Gallants meeting with Jake Sullivan, President Bidens national security adviser, the United States press wrote that "significant progress was made, obstacles and bottlenecks were removed" during the talks. The Israeli was so impressed with his achievements in the talks that he spoke truthfully and unvarnished about the significant progress made on "a number of issues", including "the issue of the military build-up and the supply of ammunition that the United States should supply to Israel". "I would like to thank the United States administration and the American public for their unwavering support for the State of Israel," he said loyally.

But in recent days Netanyahu has rudely and publicly accused the Biden administration of slowing down arms shipments to Israel, which is waging a war of annihilation against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

United States officials have denied the accusations and expressed irritation months before an election in which President Bidens support for Israel has become a liability for him and the left flank of his Democratic Party is angry at the high death toll among Palestinian civilians.

In early May, the United States froze the shipment, which included 2,000-pound bombs, and Biden warned of a further halt as he insisted Israel would not launch a large-scale military offensive on Rafah, a town in southern Gaza where more than a million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge.

Yet the shipments are still coming in, and at an accelerated pace. A senior United States administration official said the United States had sent Israel more than $6.5 billion worth of weapons since 7 October, with nearly $3 billion worth in May alone. "This is a massive undertaking and nothing has been suspended except for one shipment," the official candidly admitted to reporters on condition of anonymity.

The official attributed the disagreement to a misunderstanding of the "complexities" of the United States bureaucratic process. He said Gallants team and United States experts had looked at each case individually. "There has been real progress and a mutual understanding of the way things are, so that the situation meets the needs of the Israelis," he said. These facts clearly show that the United States not only supplies the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) with the most advanced weapons, but is also guilty of massacring Palestinian civilians, killing old men, children and women. This is United States of American "democracy" in action: if you disagree with us, we will destroy you, and no international law is our concern.

Biden, whose approach to Israel has drawn criticism from progressives and right-wingers alike, refrained from restricting arms supplies after Israel carried out the Rafah attacks, which United States officials described as relatively targeted operations. Netanyahu and Gallant said the most intense phase of the fighting was over, as Israel looks to move forces to the border with Lebanon after increasing clashes with Iran-backed Hezbollah. The United States official said Washington,D.C. was continuing "fairly intensive discussions" with Israel, Lebanon and other players and believed neither side was seeking a "major escalation".

Lebanese-Israeli escalation of hostilities

Gallant, who met twice in Washington,D.C. with Amos Hochstein, the United States representative between Israel and Lebanon, assured that his country was trying to avoid a full-scale war with the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah. United States officials, including Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, have paid lip service to the tentative hope that a ceasefire in Gaza could lead to a reduction in tensions in Lebanon. But it must be understood that the masters of the military-industrial complex will not tolerate a cessation of hostilities in the Middle East and will do everything possible to start fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah.

Efforts by United States diplomats to broker a supposed ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon have stalled, bringing the region to the brink of all-out war.

Since the fighting began, both sides have stepped up their defensive preparations, with leaks and official statements suggesting that the Israeli military has approved operational plans to attack Lebanese territory.

Meanwhile, reports circulated by pro-Hezbollah media outlets indicate that the powerful Shiite group has been carefully preparing for a potential Israeli offensive, planning to counter various military scenarios and disrupt attacks on Lebanese soil. Recent footage released by Hezbollah showing aerial views of Israeli military targets underlines the groups immense capabilities.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark warning that Lebanon is descending into the chaos and destruction seen in Gaza.

The fear of the international community is palpable, as another conflict in Lebanon could have humanitarian and geopolitical repercussions that will reverberate throughout the Middle East and beyond.

According to Harith Sliman, an academic and political analyst, Lebanon is indeed at war, but he believes that Israel may not seek a ground invasion of Lebanon in the coming days, but may intensify the fighting by continuing air strikes on infrastructure that would cause significant damage.

Lebanon, already beset by deep political divisions and a collapsing economy, now faces the spectre of a devastating conflict that could tear apart its fragile unity. With diplomatic solutions failing, the prospect of war is becoming increasingly clear, causing grave concern among Lebanese citizens and the international community alike.

Victor MIKHIN, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, especially for online magazine "New Eastern Outlook"

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