Listen to the article
Since October 7, 2023, it has become evident that the crisis will not be resolved until Israel alters the balance of power in the Middle East and ensures the safety of its citizens. Israel would not accept humiliation or defeat, as experienced on the day the Al-Aqsa Flood was unleashed. It has since regained its considerable power and is committed to the total eradication of the Gaza Strip, pursuing its longstanding ambition of pushing Palestinians toward East Jordan.
However, Hezbollah chose to initiate a support front for Gaza the following day, without consulting the Lebanese state. With unwavering determination, the pro-Iranian group clearly stated that it would not cease its actions until the aggression against Gaza stopped. As Israel grew increasingly exasperated with Hezbollah’s provocations in the north, it first launched coordinated operations to strike Hezbollah’s leadership and operatives, followed by airstrikes to destroy the group’s bases overall.
The key question now is: who will support Lebanon today, given that Hezbollah rushed to back Gaza without regard for Lebanon’s fate? Syria is unlikely to assist, having failed to support Gaza. Iraq is consumed by its own crises, and Iran seems unlikely to provide aid, leaving Hezbollah to fend for itself.
This illustrates how the Iranians shift their allegiances, using Hezbollah as a pawn in negotiations and abandoning it when it no longer serves their interests.
The pressing question is how Lebanon can protect itself in this crisis, given that no one will come to its rescue. Hezbollah has repeatedly dragged the country into devastating wars without considering the consequences.
In just one day of shelling, one-third of the total casualties reported over an entire month of the July 2006 war occurred. This indicates a crisis that far exceeds mere warfare. Although Qatar previously led reconstruction efforts in the south, there seems to be little interest in that part of Lebanon today.
The current situation should not be viewed merely as destruction; it represents a systematic effort at annihilation that threatens all regions of Lebanon. Israeli forces will not distinguish between Shia and non-Shia, or between supporters and opponents of Hezbollah.
It is crucial to recognize that this crisis stems from Hezbollah’s hasty decision to support Gaza on the day the shelling began. The consequences have been catastrophic: the devastation of Gaza and the displacement of its residents, along with attacks on Lebanon and the dismantling of Hezbollah’s organizational structure, all resulting in significant harm to civilians.
