In the communication and relations between Israel and the United States, Israel conveyed to the United States that HEZB would retaliate drastically and proportionately if HEZB attacked Israeli citizens. This warning comes in the aftermath of the assassination of Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fuad Shukr, by Israel in Beirut which has increased tensions in this region.
Why This Matters
The Israeli authorities are insisting that despite the intentions to avoid large-scale battle with Hezbollah in Lebanon, any strikes causing non-combatants’ deaths will be met with much more force. This is part of Israel’s tactical plan that aims at being cautious in the uttermost in order not to engage in warfare beyond what is necessary provided that one’s civilian lives are endangered.
Current Developments
Hezbollah chief, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah early this week delivered a speech wherein he promised that his group would avenge the Shukr’s assassination and suggested that Iran could also do the same regarding the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. The psychological approach to the continuing conflict was underlined by Nasrallah, who stressed the fact that the week’s wait for Israel to get a response from Hezbollah is a sort of psychological battle.
Currently, Israeli as well as U. S. officials expect an imminent aggression by Hezbollah and Iran, although the nature of these future attacks is still not clear at all. Indeed, one of the possible issues is the conflict connected with Hezbollah’s potential strikes at Tel Aviv, as stated by the editor-in-chief of Hezbollah Ties newspaper Al-Akhbar Ibrahim Amin. In Al-Amin’s article, he noted that Hezbollah may target major Israeli military and intelligence soft targets that are within civilian-populated districts thus having a high probability of causing civilian losses.
Behind the Scenes
The Israelis have relayed their opinion to the U. S through several military messengers. They have associated the historically inept rocket attacks by Hezbollah with the endangerment of civilian lives. Sorrowfully enough the recent events depicting the use of Hezbollah rockets resulted in the death of 12 children in Majdal Shams when a rocket that was heading towards a military base exploded and hit a soccer field have served to further highlight these concerns.
This is because Hezbollah possesses long-range surface-to-surface missiles, which have greater explosive yields than other missiles and can inflict significantly more damage coupled with numerous casualties. Key leaders in the Israeli government have said that any attack carried out by Hezbollah that would lead to the deaths of civilians would be met by an even more brutal response by Israel.
Official Statements
Furthermore, in internal meetings with the U. S., Israel said the price for another Hezbollah incident would be steep, while Hezbollah would bear a disproportionate cost for any casualties amongst civilians as part of its revenge, a senior Israeli official said.
The Pentagon has not asked these discussions and therefore they have not made any commentary on it.
Conclusion
With the situation still very volatile, Israel has delivered a clear warning to Hezbollah and the world that any attack on Israelis will not be taken lightly and will be dealt with a vengeance. This position is to refrain Hizbullah from aggravating the situation and to save lives among the civilians who are affected by the fighting.
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