Responding to Hezbollah’s war with Israel

In today’s WSJ, Israel is being (1) “warned” by the US against “escalating the fight with Hezbollah in Lebanon”; and (2) pushed to revive Biden’s so-called “ceasefire” agreement in Gaza.

In my opinion:

1. Gallant is entirely correct to say that military action would need to be deployed against Hezbollah to counter the rockets and drones which continue to pound northern Israel. 
2. The Biden “ceasefire” does illustrate the chasm between Israeli security concerns and the American “approach”. The Biden administration believes that Hamas can be ultimately “negotiated” with as a rational party. And yet, Israeli security requires its defeat & bringing those who planned and committed Oct-7 to justice. How can there be a “diplomatic solution” with an organisation that want Israel’s destruction?
3. Sinwar has publicly stated that Hamas is prepared for a “long battle of attrition” against Israel — and indeed a war of attrition against ordinary Palestinians who are not Hamas. Although Sinwar’s days are now numbered, I think he may have a point. Hamas’s last few supply line through the Philadelphi Corridor and Rafah Crossing are finally gone. Not even the thefts by Hamas from the Gaza aid trucks (or Gazans) can prevent its food, water, and weapons from dwindling. Israel is also continually reducing Sinwar’s available hiding places as they find and destroy tunnels. Time is clearly against him. Israel needs to see their Gaza operations through to their end. But, it cannot ignore the Hezbollah offensive, which is tied to Hamas, and the belief that through violence Israel will stop “taking their land”, end its “occupation”, ... or the usual tropes. Violence against Israel should be costly. Israel cannot let them enjoy the fruits of their crimes.
4. Nobody talks of the 120K civilians exiled from their homes — in Israel & Lebanon — because Hezbollah has opened a front against Israel ... to kill Jews.

I agree with Gallant against a major military operation in Lebanon on the basis the Iranian-militias’ activities. For now, Israel should undertake security operations against Hezbollah operatives and their assets in Lebanon. But, it would need to be careful not to attack Lebanon directly.

Lebanon has been in this lose–lose situation for decades at this point. Tiny country, mixed religious populations, mired between Israel and Syria, increasingly corrupt government. 

It’s sad because it’s a beautiful place taken over by a foreign backed group seeking to destabilise it in order to provoke a war.

Update:

It seems Mossad may have effectively castrated over 1000 terrorists today!!

I wonder how much tracking & eavesdropping was done by Mossad on these pagers before they decided to blow them all.

Unfortunately, Nasrallah wasn’t taken out.