A war is looming in Lebanon. For months, Israel and Hizbullah have traded drones, rockets and missiles (see charts). Northern Israel has been blasted and depopulated: 70,000 people have been displaced. More have left southern Lebanon. Several countries including America are telling their citizens to leave Lebanon. Israel’s leaders talk of war as though it is inevitable. It would be the most intense conflict in the region in decades—a calamity for Israel and a disaster for Lebanon.
There are still ways out. American and European diplomats continue to shuttle between Israel and Lebanon, hoping, with less and less optimism, to persuade Hizbullah to withdraw 7-10km away from the border. On July 2nd the group said it would stop firing if there was a ceasefire in Gaza. Even then, the result would be a tenuous peace at best, with the threat of cross-border raids by Hizbullah Israel dissuading many Israelis from returning.
Source link : https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/07/02/the-next-terrifying-war-israel-v-hizbullah
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Publish date : 2024-07-02 19:42:26
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