Attempts by the Israeli forces to resume attacks on the Gaza Strip have signaled a continuation of the war, with attention now turning toward Lebanon. The Israeli forces have targeted Khan Yunis in the southern part of the strip, and have stated that the truce fell apart after Hamas declined to follow through with the prisoner exchange under the preceding conditions. Israeli officials suggested that the military leadership was apprehensive of losing the initiative on the battleground if the truce period was extended. The Institute for the Study of War revealed that tactics employed by Hamas fighters had developed during the truce, giving them the means to track the movements of Israeli forces to prepare targeted ambushes when hostilities resumed.
Despite the losses incurred on the Israeli side, they continued to expand areas of control. The cease-fire created a sense of assurance among many Gazans that the war had concluded and Hamas had been victorious; this was further solidified by media outlets close to the resistance. However, when Israel resumed its bombing, people in the Gaza Strip were forced back into shelters and were displaced, yet again, this time to Khan Yunis and Rafah. Israel’s counter-move has resulted in areas being left uninhabitable; it issues evacuation warnings to targeted sites but subsequently neglects to accept responsibility for those killed within the vicinity.
The American and Western response has been timid, allowing Israel to proceed with its military objectives such as dismantling Hamas’s military infrastructure and killing its leaders in the Gaza Strip. The Biden administration reportedly reached an agreement with the leaders of the seven major countries to set up an international force to monitor security in the strip when the war is over, in conjunction with the Palestinian Authority. Reports suggest that Netanyahu’s government has some additional plans involving the occupation of Gaza Strip and then establishing a protection barrier along its perimeter. The US and its allies are promptly attempting to depose the conservative Israeli government, and implant a less extreme government that is more compliant with American initiatives currently in the works.
American officials reportedly imparted to Netanyahu that they expect the war to cease by the end of January at the latest. However, the Israeli government wants to give the army enough time to conclude the mission with few casualties, possibly lasting until March. A humanitarian truce during the holiday period could potentially see the release of Israeli prisoners, including civilians, in a bid to reduce the pressure being felt by hostage families under the Netanyahu government. Israeli leadership is hoping the ferocity of the bombardment and intensity of the ground assault will wear Hamas down in the Gaza Strip and encourage a resumption of negotiations regarding prisoner release on Jerusalem’s terms.
Israel hopes that this brutal war will restore prestige to its military and make Gaza a warning to anyone who may threaten Israel in the future. Israeli officials have even gone so far as to threaten that Lebanon or Beirut may face a similar fate to Gaza if attacks on Israel’s northern border persist. Attacks launched by Iranian-backed groups in the axis of resistance failed to dissuade Israel from proceeding with its war on Gaza. Israel was very precise in its recent attacks on Lebanon and Syria, warning Tehran’s members from the Revolutionary Guard that they had become targets. Similarly, Israel sent a warning to Lebanon, emphasizing that their retaliations would not be limited to Hezbollah alone, but extended to the whole country if bombings of Israeli settlements from Lebanon continue.
Reportedly, the Lebanese government has been delivered messages through international mediators that indicate that after this conflict in Gaza ends, Israel will open a front in southern Lebanon and refuse to accept the presence of armed Hezbollah members south of the Litani River. Residents in northern Israel are calling for the elimination of the Hezbollah threat from the border in order for them to be able to go back to their homes. Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s military force has gained increasing strength in terms of the kind of weapons it holds and the effectiveness of its fighters. Given this, it appears that the scuffles in southern Lebanon may not scare Israel, as Hezbollah’s leadership would like, but rather might stimulate a heightened sense of vulnerability that will persuade Israel to launch a war on Lebanon in the foreseeable future.
It is evident that Israel is very precise in its recent attacks on Lebanon and Syria, and thus sent a message to Tehran warning its members from the Revolutionary Guard that they had become targets. Similarly, Israel sent a warning to Lebanon, emphasizing that their retaliations would not be limited to Hezbollah alone, but extended to the whole country if bombings of Israeli settlements from Lebanon continue. Israeli officials have even gone so far as to threaten that Lebanon or Beirut may face a similar fate to Gaza if attacks on Israel’s northern border persist.
