Israel will have difficulty gaining the upper hand in the Middle East conflict if the Jewish state launches a full-scale operation against Lebanon. This was reported by The Washington Post, citing sources.
As the publication notes, representatives of the US presidential administration Joe Biden in personal conversations, the Israeli authorities repeatedly warned against escalation on the border with Lebanon. At the same time, the newspaper writes, they referred to data from the US Defense Intelligence Agency, according to which “it will be difficult for the Israel Defense Forces to win”, since it will have to distribute military resources on several fronts, taking into account the situation in the Gaza Strip, and even more involve the Air Force, which and so “overtired.”
According to the publication’s interlocutors, since the beginning of the aggravation in the Middle East, Israel has been considering the possibility of a preventive strike on Hezbollah and could transfer forces withdrawn from Gaza to the north after they “rest and prepare for a new phase of military operations.” However, the US is dissuading the Jewish state over fears that it will drag Iran, as well as other groups, into the conflict, and force Washington to resort to a “military response on the side of Israel.” At the same time, according to WP sources, the Hezbollah movement is not interested in further escalation of tensions with Israel and its leader Sheikh Hasan Nasrullah would like to avoid a major war.
In a conversation with the Israeli authorities, American officials, WP reports, also expressed dissatisfaction with the Jewish state’s attacks on the positions of the Lebanese Armed Forces, which are supported by the United States. Israel has carried out 34 such strikes since October 7 last year, according to U.S. intelligence, but officials in Israel have indicated the attacks were unintentional.
WP sources noted that the Lebanese armed forces will play a “vital role” for a settlement in the region if Hezbollah weakens. According to the publication’s interlocutors, American and French officials are discussing with the Lebanese authorities a plan according to which Beirut, instead of the Shiite movement, will take control of part of the Lebanese-Israeli border in order to reduce tensions. However, interlocutors in Washington noted that Hezbollah is unlikely to agree to this.
On January 6, the armed wing of the Shiite Hezbollah party fired more than 60 rockets from Lebanon at a military facility in northern Israel.
The press service of the Israel Defense Forces previously reported the launch of 40 shells in the direction of the Meron area. Shortly after this, a strike was carried out on a detachment that was shelling Israeli territory.
On January 2, the deputy head of the Palestinian movement’s Politburo was killed as a result of an Israeli Air Force missile attack on Hamas headquarters on the southern outskirts of Beirut. Saleh al-Aruri. The attack came as al-Arouri was holding a meeting there with military commanders. Along with him, 6 people died, another 11 were injured. Nasrullah said that “the Israeli crime will not remain without just retribution.”
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2024-01-07 23:45:00
