Israel and Hezbollah pave way for more confrontation – not de-escalationpublished at 10:49 BST
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent in Jerusalem
Israel says its war against the Iranian-backed militia and political party Hezbollah will continue in Lebanon.
This conflict started when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel following the killing of the Iranian supreme leader at the start of the US-Israel war against Iran.
Israel, in response, launched a devastating bombing campaign in Lebanon, killing more than 3,600 people including many civilians, and now occupies a significant part of the south, where entire villages have been destroyed.
Israel says the goal is to create a security zone along the border, Hezbollah-free, to protect its northern communities from the group’s rockets and drones.
In Israel, there is public support for the war to continue. But, as Donald Trump has limited Israeli actions in Lebanon to try to defuse tensions, it is not clear what else Israel’s attacks can achieve in significantly degrading Hezbollah.
The group is isolated domestically but, so far, has rejected calls to disarm. Lebanon’s government says this can only happen through diplomacy and not force.
With neither side showing indications of being willing to back down, they are paving the way for more confrontation and not de-escalation.
