One year has passed since the attack by Hamas and the situation in the Middle East seems to be hanging by a thread. Israel’s successive strikes and the response it is preparing to Iran seem to have created a situation that is difficult to normalize.
Despite the efforts being made to avoid a generalized conflict in the region everything is moving in the opposite direction. During Monday a ballistic missile launched by the Yemen towards central Israel was successfully intercepted by Israeli air defenses. In fact, late on Monday night, the Houthis claimed responsibility for this particular attack.
Hezbollah launched more than 135 rockets, while Israel said it hit more than a hundred targets in southern Lebanon.
It creates a front to the sea
At the same time, Israeli forces are making moves that show they are ready to launch strikes from the sea as well. Tellingly, during Monday they announced that they are banning anyone from going ashore or boarding boats in Lebanon, from the city of Sidon and southwards. This means that about a third of the Lebanese coast is off limits.
The map showing the IDF plan shows that they want to create a huge zone inside Lebanese territory that will now reach the sea.
What is the reason they want to do this? According to analysts, they want to create a security zone that will make it difficult for Hezbollah to carry out strikes in Northern Israel. There are not a few who believe that this move is being made to further protect Haifa, which has been a target of the Lebanese organization.
Why Hezbollah chooses Haifa
- Its strategic position: The port of Haifa is one of the most important that Israel has and a potential strike on it would cause major problems.
- The possible targets: The question is what they want to hit in Haifa. The goals are many. Beyond the port are the petrochemical plants and refineries. If nothing else a hit there would do a lot of damage.
- Easier to hit: But why would Hezbollah choose to hit Haifa? Apart from its strategic role, this city is quite close to Lebanon, so it is considered easier to attack there.
The US maintains that Israel’s operations are limited in scope
The United States estimates that Israel’s ground operations in Lebanon remain limited, a State Department spokesman said today.
On the first anniversary of the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces appear ready to expand their ground operations in southern Lebanon.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington expects Israel to strike back at Hezbollah in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law and minimizing civilian casualties.
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