Hezbollah Launches Fresh Drone Attacks on Northern Israel

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Facts

  • Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launched a drone attack on northern Israel's upper Galilee region on Monday. The Israeli military (IDF) said two of its soldiers were wounded and the attack ignited a fire.[1]
  • The attack appears not to be an escalation of violence but rather a part of its months-long battles along the Israeli border connected to the war in Gaza. However, Hezbollah did call its attack a response to Israel's recent killing of its top commander, Fouad Shurkur, and the leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh.[2]
  • This comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Sunday that Iran and Hezbollah could attack Israel by Monday or Tuesday. US Central Command Gen. Michael Kurilla traveled to Israel Monday to discuss defense cooperation with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.[3][4]
  • US Pres. Joe Biden and Vice Pres. Kamala Harris were expected to meet with White House national security officials Monday to discuss the matter, with Biden also set to call Jordan's King Abdullah II. Meanwhile, Blinken has urged "maximum restraint" on the part of Iran, Hezbollah, and Israel.[5]
  • According to a White House official, the US is already deploying more fighter jets and Navy warships to the region. While the US says its actions are preventative rather than escalatory, several countries have advised their citizens currently in Lebanon to leave, including Japan, Saudi Arabia, and France.[6][7]

Sources: [1]The Guardian, [2]Independent, [3]Axios, [4]The Times of Israel, [5]Al Arabiya, [6]Reuters and [7]Al Jazeera.

Narratives

  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Mirror. Israel's decision to kill terror leaders is the opposite of escalation. Rather than bomb civilians like former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has done to Israel for decades, Tel Aviv chose to go after the brains of these terror plots, which, in the long-term, leads to less bloodshed. These assassinations exemplify Israel's commitment to limiting civilian casualties and only fighting terrorism.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Washington Institute. While Israel has a right to prepare for an all-out war with Hezbollah, its latest assassinations may not be the best path forward. Hezbollah knows it can't go face-to-face against Israel, and Iran doesn't want to lose its advanced weapons based in Lebanon, which means there is hope for a diplomatic solution. The US should sanction Lebanon to push it away from Iran and thus toward peace.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The Intercept. The US is incapable of controlling Israel or Lebanon. Washington's military aid to the Lebanese government has done nothing to deter Hezbollah, while its unwavering support of Israel has only emboldened the IDF. The US is now contradicting itself again by asking for both sides to choose diplomacy while also telling Israel it has American support should an all-out war take place. US foreign policy may push us into yet another Middle East war.