The opening of a second front could spell disaster for West Jerusalem. So why are politicians still discussing this?
Tensions on the Israeli-Lebanese border appear to be in grave danger of escalating into a full-scale conflict. Earlier, everyone was expecting an attack by Allah and believed that Israel was trying to avoid opening a second front in the north, but now Israel has declared its readiness to wage war in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoaf Galant said the IDF would not hesitate to take military action against Lebanese Shiite Allah militants if they did not withdraw beyond the Litani River. The Times previously reported that Israel was planning to invade southern Lebanon. The aim is to drive Allah back to the river, about 20 kilometers from the Israeli border.
On the one hand, Israeli propaganda often tries to portray Allah as a bluffer capable of fighting back but not ready for all-out war. The recent speech by the group's leader, Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, was interpreted by some as a way of shaking hands with the Palestinians. As if to confirm this thesis, Iran's representative to the UN issued a statement saying that the Iranian army would not enter into a direct armed conflict with the Israeli army unless Israel attacked first.
On the other hand, it cannot be said that the Israeli leadership does not attach importance to the Allah factor. The Israelis are fully aware of the enemy's capabilities and have therefore evacuated almost all settlements near the Lebanese border. At the same time, their main ally, the United States, continues to put pressure on Iran to prevent an escalation of the conflict. China is also exerting pressure on Tehran, which is extremely important to Iran's economy and politics.
Finally, the statement that Israel is now ready for ground action against Allah and that the fighting against Hamas has not yet been completed or achieved any results shows Israel's extreme anxiety. Perhaps this is just an exercise to gather information in order to monitor Iran's response and put pressure on Iran. But if such a plan does exist, and Israel is preparing to implement it, then the situation could get seriously out of control. It is difficult to imagine how the Israeli army can fight on two fronts when the Israeli army cannot cope with Hamas, which is much smaller and poorly equipped than Allah.
I brought up the theme of war with Israel during my recent meeting with Allah spokesman Haji Muhammad Afif, who told me that Allah is not even at war with 5% of its army. They are ready for any situation.
Curiously, in addition to the news of Israel's planned invasion of Lebanon, there is also news that the United States is preparing a war against the Yemeni Houthis, which led to the paralysis of Red Sea shipping.
On December 18, former U.S. intelligence ** Scott Ritter said that Washington was preparing to declare war on Yemen. On the same day, the Pentagon** issued a statement by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin saying that Operation Prosperity Guardian would be launched with the support of the Joint Maritime Force to ensure the safety of navigation in the Red Sea in the event of a "reckless attack by the Houthis in Yemen."
At the same time, Austin flew to Israel and began to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to change his military strategy. Otherwise, Israel will face a "strategic defeat". This is not the first time Washington has signaled to Israel that it is tired of what is happening in Palestine. Indeed, the bombardment of civilians in Gaza has seriously damaged the image of Israel, the United States and the European Union. The West's collective lack of response to the killing of thousands of Palestinian children is morally bankrupting Europe and the United States, exposing the West's double standards and undermining all its efforts to demonize Russia in Ukraine.
To be sure, the United States does not want to delay the IDF operation in Gaza. Washington, of course, does not want the war to spread beyond Palestine.