Unleashed and Unapologetic: Netanyahu Seeks to Cement Power as Hezbollah Threats Loom

Large-scale airstrikes on Lebanon for three consecutive days
Military will “enter a new era”, hinting at imminent ground war… Pressure on Netanyahu to resign, breaking new ground in war
Hezbollah fires missiles at Mossad headquarters… Shot down by Israel’s missile defense system

terrible war damage
A Lebanese girl whose leg was injured in numerous Israeli airstrikes lies on a hospital bed in the southern city of Saksakiye with a bloody bandage on the 24th (local time). Saksakiye = Myth Newsis

“Israel will continue to attack Hezbollah.”

While the Israeli and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah have been exchanging large-scale airstrikes every day since the 23rd (local time), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) said this while visiting an Israeli military intelligence unit on the 24th. From the 23rd to the 25th, Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon resulted in at least 592 deaths and 1,932 injuries, and criticism from the international community is mounting, but they have made it clear that they will continue operations military on a large scale.

On the 25th, Israel struck approximately 280 Hezbollah-affiliated targets in Lebanon. On the 23rd and 24th, approximately 1,600 and 1,500 targets were reached, respectively. On the 25th, Ori Gordin, the Commander of the Northern Command of the Israeli Army, who observed the training of the 7th Armored Brigade in the border area with Lebanon, said, “We have entered a new phase in the war,” suggesting that a ground war was imminent. According to the Times of Israel, the 7th Armored Brigade is a unit believed to be used in the event of a ground war against Hezbollah.

● Widening the war to ‘prolong political life’

The biggest reason why Israel is increasing the level of its attacks against Hezbollah is Prime Minister Netanyahu’s will to extend his political life. Prime Minister Netanyahu, who began his third term at the end of December 2022 (first term from June 1996 to July 1999, second term from March 2009 to June 2021), is the longest-serving Israeli prime minister in history. Although he managed to rule for a long time with ‘strong security’, he was unable to prevent a surprise attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas in October last year. In addition, he failed to respond properly to rescue hostages after the start of the war against Hamas, and is under intense pressure to resign due to allegations of corruption that arose during his second term in office.

In order to overcome this crisis, Prime Minister Netanyahu is risking his life and death to maintain the ‘war situation’ as much as possible and at the same time ensure the result of the neutralization of Hezbollah. Song Woong-yeop, a former ambassador to Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, said, “Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is in crisis as a far-right coalition and barely maintained personal corruption, does not have many cards to choose from,” and He added, “We will continue to push for progress and try to regain support.” .

In fact, as the offensive against Hezbollah has intensified recently, the approval rating for the Netanyahu regime is improving. It seems that the Israeli political world is also in favor of taking a hard line against Hezbollah. Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity Party, who left the war cabinet in June in opposition to the forced war on the Gaza Strip in Palestine, also supported the use of ground troops and the expansion of the war, saying on the 25th, ” If Hezbollah does not stop its attacks, we will have to enter (Lebanon) territory.

● The US and Iran both draw the line at intervention in this situation

The fact that the US, which can influence Israel, has little mediating power is also cited as a reason why Prime Minister Netanyahu can increase the intensity of attacks despite criticism over the increase in casualties . US President Joe Biden resigned as the Democratic presidential candidate, effectively falling into the position of a lame duck (power leak). In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the 24th, President Biden presented only a general position regarding this incident, saying, “All-out war is not beneficial to anyone.”

Iran, Hezbollah’s ‘sponsor’, also said it had no intention of intervening in this incident. According to the New York Times, Iranian President Massoud Fezeshkian, who is visiting the United States to attend the United Nations General Assembly, said in a media interview on the 24th, “Iran will not be dragged into Israel’s trap,” and “Iran does that. doesn’t want to fight.” Axios, a political media outlet in the United States, reported that Hezbollah recently asked Iran to attack Israel, but Iran refused. Israel is in a position where the variable of Iranian intervention does not need to be considered.

However, it is not clear whether the escalating war will lead to the results that Prime Minister Netanyahu wants. Gail Talsir, a researcher at the Department of Political Science at the Hebrew University, told the Washington Post (WP), “I don’t know if the people will tolerate Hezbollah even when it fires thousands of rockets towards Tel Aviv.”

Meanwhile, Hezbollah launched the Iranian ballistic missile ‘Qader 1’ on the 25th, targeting the headquarters of the intelligence agency ‘Mossad’ in Tel Aviv, Israel, but was shot down by the ‘David’s Sling’, which medium to long range missile air defense network.

Reporter Lee Ji-yoon asap@donga.com
Reporter Lee Ki-wook 71wook@donga.com