Hezbollah’s actions may have prompted Israel to start a new war

Lebanese terror cadre Hezbollah has been displaying signs of war with Israel since the terrorist attacks of Oct. 7. It now seems that Iran’s most deadly proxy army might achieve its goal as Israel has initiated a series of airstrikes intended to weaken Hezbollah’s military capabilities. 

The group witnessed its leadership’s communication devices — pagers and handheld radios — destroyed last week in a highly precise attack believed to be carried out by Israel.

More importantly, Israel eliminated the commanders of Hezbollah’s Radwan unit through an airstrike as they were allegedly planning an invasion of Israel from the north. 

This was a significant psychological and operational blow. 

Israel has now targeted hundreds of sites as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to “alter the balance of power in the north.”

This is a crucial strategic move for Israel: Hezbollah’s continuous rocket attacks on the northern part of the country have led to the displacement of approximately 60,000 Israelis, a situation that Netanyahu cannot tolerate.

The recent airstrikes aimed to disable the facilities supporting these rocket attacks, and they may be starting to deliver on Netanyahu’s promise.  

Hezbollah and its supporters in Tehran may have expected Israel to show more restraint, given its ongoing conflict with another Iranian proxy group, Hamas. 

The leaders in Iran and Hassan Nasrallah may have thought that the global left’s criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza would deter the Israeli Defense Forces. 

However, engaging with Hezbollah will not be easy for Israel. 

On the contrary: These agents of Iran’s hegemonic terrorism are well-equipped, well-trained, skilled, and resilient.  

For Israel to ensure its national security, it must push Hezbollah beyond the Litani River — a task that the United Nations has been assigned for nearly two decades, despite Hezbollah’s empowerment by the agency. 

Hamas has already experienced Israel’s commitment to fighting terrorists seeking its destruction under Netanyahu’s leadership. 

If Hezbollah does not retreat beyond the Litani River, it may be the next target for that difficult but necessary battle.