Israel’s extremist government threatens to invade Lebanon and draw Iran into the fighting
~ Blade Runner ~
The Israeli state continues to spread death and terror throughout the region. A new campaign began last week with the pager explosions, and has evolved this week into sustained bombings, with up to a million displaced the threat of a ground invasion looming. The elimination of much of Hezbollah’s leadership is unlikely to stop Israel’s war machine, with Netanyahu committed to perpetual war for his own political survival and messianic fascists controlling the coalition.
Israel and Lebanon have been in conflict since Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, when along with other Arab states it joined the war to prevent the creation of Israel. Although Lebanon played a minor role in the fighting, contributing to the overall Arab military effort without significant direct engagement, the war ended with the signing of the 1949 Armistice Agreement, leaving Lebanon and Israel technically at war.
In 1978, Israel invaded Lebanon, citing attacks by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) from southern Lebanon as justification. This move was typical of a settler state’s response to security threats, using military aggression and expansion of power. Israel invaded again in 1982, reaching Beirut, which resulted in mass civilian casualties and the displacement of Lebanese and Palestinian refugees.
The invasion led to a prolonged Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, where it faced ongoing resistance, particularly from the newly-formed Hezbollah, a Shiite political and militant organisation supported by Iran and Syria. Hezbollah has since perpetuated a form of informal state violence in response to Israel’s aggression. Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon lasted from 1982 to 2000, characterised by frequent clashes with Hezbollah. By 2000, under domestic pressure and increasing Hezbollah attacks, Israel withdrew, though tensions remained high.
The most intense conflict occurred in 2006, when Hezbollah conducted a cross-border raid and captured two Israeli soldiers. Israel responded with massive military force, leading to a 34-day war marked by heavy aerial bombardments and ground fighting in southern Lebanon. Civilian areas in southern Lebanon were devastated, and over a thousand Lebanese were killed. The war ended inconclusively with a UN-brokered ceasefire, solidifying Hezbollah’s role as a potent military force in Lebanon, while Israel maintained its regional dominance.
The conflict across the Israel-Lebanon border has lasted decades, and continues to represent a laboratory for state oppression and military technology. Yet the regional and global stakes have never been higher. Other formal and informal state forces are ready to enter the conflict when the opportunity presents itself. The official narrative suggests that Israel’s ultra-right government is committed to pushing on with the war at any cost. Meanwhile, a broader restructuring of the global order is underway, with the USA determined to maintain its stronghold in the region. In reality, this dynamic is pushing us towards regional war if not worse.
