Escalation in the Middle East: calls for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah

Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia continue fighting undeterred. The mutual shelling continued. On Thursday night, a group of states including the USA and Germany, together with influential Arab countries, called for a 21-day ceasefire in the Middle East in order to achieve a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

The Israeli prime minister’s office, meanwhile, denied a report that Benjamin Netanyahu had given the green light for a ceasefire with Hezbollah. “It is a US-French proposal to which the Prime Minister has not even responded,” the statement said. Israel’s head of government left for the United States for the UN General Assembly on Thursday morning.

Since the Gaza war broke out between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip almost a year ago, mutual shelling has also occurred almost daily in the Israeli-Lebanese border region. According to its own statements, Hezbollah wants to support Hamas in the Gaza Strip with the attacks. After the massive Israeli bombings in Lebanon on Hezbollah targets since the weekend, there is now a threat of open war between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel wants to weaken the militia to such an extent that it can stop shelling and Israelis can return to their residential areas in the north of the country.

Israeli troops during maneuvers at the border – concerns about a ground offensive

In view of a possible Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon, there are concerns that the situation will worsen further. According to the military, Israeli troops held an exercise on the border with Lebanon. A few kilometers from the border, the 7th Brigade “trained maneuvers and fights in mountainous terrain with lots of thickets,” it said in a statement. The readiness for “various combat scenarios in enemy territory on the northern front” has been improved.

Ultra-right politicians in Israel against ceasefire with Hezbollah

Ultra-right politicians in Jerusalem criticized a possible ceasefire with Hezbollah. “The fight in the north can only end in one way: with the destruction of Hezbollah and its ability to harm the residents of the (Israeli) north,” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on X. “Hezbollah surrender or war, just like that “Let’s bring residents and security back to the north,” Smotrich added.

According to the Israeli army broadcaster, the right-wing extremist coalition party Ozma Jehudit threatened to no longer support coalition votes in parliament in the event of a limited ceasefire – and even to withdraw from the government alliance in the event of a permanent ceasefire.

Mutual shelling between Israel and Hezbollah continues

Despite international calls for a ceasefire, mutual shelling continued on Thursday. The Israeli army said the western part of the Galilee in northern Israel was attacked with 45 bullets from Lebanon. Some of them were intercepted by missile defense. The rest fell in open areas.

Israeli fighter jets had previously bombed other targets in southern Lebanon. According to the army, these were “Hezbollah military posts, terrorists and weapons depots.” The military also attacked again in a suburb of Beirut. According to the military, the commander of the militia’s drone unit, Mohammed Hussein Srur, was killed. He directed numerous attacks on Israel with drones and cruise missiles. Lebanese security circles also confirmed his death. A high-ranking militia military commander, Ibrahim Akil, was killed in the area last week.

According to information, the Israeli Air Force had already attacked 75 “terrorist targets” in the south and northeast of Lebanon during the night.

Tens of thousands on the run – Lebanon can hardly cope with the crisis

The bombings mainly hit the south and the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, causing panic and despair in the small country with almost six million inhabitants. Villages near the border with Israel are now almost deserted. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, more than 90,000 people were forced to flee.

The ongoing conflict is hitting Lebanon particularly hard; The country has been suffering from a severe economic crisis for years and the health system is on the verge of collapse. Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Lebanon has welcomed around 1.5 million refugees. However, according to the UN, tens of thousands of Lebanese are now fleeing themselves, some even to Syria. A good 13,500 Syrians have also returned to their homeland since Monday, as Lebanon’s Interior Minister explained.

The Israeli military said it also attacked several targets in the border area between Lebanon and Syria. Accordingly, it is said to have been infrastructure used by the Hezbollah militia. Lebanese security sources said four border crossings had been attacked since Monday.

Minister sees poor economic situation in Lebanon

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s acting economy minister warned of the consequences of the conflict for the local economy. “The economy is in very bad shape. This war has increased the challenges for Lebanon,” Amin Salam told the financial service Bloomberg. Any hopes of an upswing have disappeared. “There is no growth.” The currency has lost more than 95 percent of its value since 2019, and an estimated 80 percent of the population lives in poverty.

Iran’s Foreign Minister: Israel wants to plunge the region into war

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi once again accused Israel of “plunging the entire region into an all-out war.” Before the UN Security Council in New York, he condemned the military action in Lebanon and against the Palestinians. “Without a ceasefire in Gaza, there will be no guarantee of peace in the region. The international community cannot remain silent,” he said. “The US and UK in particular have a legal and moral responsibility to act before it is too late.”