Netanyahu Urges Lebanon To Expel Hezbollah & Avoid Gaza Like Destruction

Israeli PM Netanyahu urges Lebanon to avoid same Gaza devastation by rejecting Hezbollah. During a TV speech on Tuesday, Netanyahu cautioned about significant outcomes if Lebanon keeps permitting Hezbollah’s operations, advising the public to “rescue Lebanon from plunging into a prolonged war.”

The statement was made as Israel increased its ground presence in south-western Lebanon with thousands more troops. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that they had attacked Hezbollah bases, including a “combat compound” in the border village of Maroun al-Ras, where they discovered weapons, such as rocket launchers. At the same time, it has been reported that the IDF has raised the number of troops in the area to more than fifteen thousand.

Tensions have been increasing as Hezbollah started launching rocket strikes on northern Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians, after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7. As a response, Israel has carried out widespread airstrikes on Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon, especially in the southern part of Beirut. Even though Israeli forces have reported killing senior members of Hezbollah, such as Suhail Husseini, there is no confirmation of the death of Hashem Safieddine, a prominent figure within Hezbollah.

In the midst of these events, Hezbollah initiated a fresh series of rocket strikes on Haifa, causing injuries to 12 individuals. Despite facing significant casualties, Hezbollah leaders continue to show defiance, as Naim Qassem, the deputy leader of the organization, asserts that Hezbollah’s military strength remains unchanged. Qassem brought up current attempts for a ceasefire without connecting halting Hezbollah’s attacks to the resolution of the Gaza conflict, which was the group’s previous position.

The conflict’s humanitarian consequences are still deteriorating. Lebanese authorities have stated that more than one thousand four hundred individuals have lost their lives, and 1.2 million have been forced to leave their homes as a result of Israeli bombing and military operations. The UN has cautioned that Lebanon could face a disaster as its agricultural infrastructure is being ruined, putting the country’s ability to support itself at risk. Consequently, over four hundred thousand individuals, including Syrian refugees have escaped into war-ravaged Syria.

The global community, with the UN included, is urging for immediate actions to halt the conflict and deal with the humanitarian crisis, as the ongoing fighting continues to affect civilian populations on both sides of the border. Nevertheless, as Hezbollah continues to show no signs of retreating, the situation remains extremely unstable.