The Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Sunday that Tel Aviv is preparing for what it described as “renewed wars” in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Iran, noting that “Israel is not certain the United States understands this readiness”.
According to the newspaper, “theoretically, Israel is in a ceasefire with both Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon, but in practice major attacks have taken place in both arenas, including the assassination of a senior commander in Hamas’s military wing and explosions in the Beqaa deep inside Lebanon”.
The report continued: “On the third front, Iran, it is clear that Tehran is preparing for the next battle, and there is concern that another confrontation with the Islamic Republic will erupt sooner or later”. It added that Tel Aviv recently decided to intensify strikes against Hezbollah, amid what it considers the inability of the Lebanese army and government to fulfil their obligations under the ceasefire agreement or to disarm Hezbollah.
The newspaper noted that Israeli attacks are targeting areas north of the Litani, the Beqaa, and southern Lebanon, while the Americans are less involved than before, with the international community criticising them for failing to closely monitor the agreement’s implementation.
Yedioth added: “In light of this criticism, the United States has appointed a new ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, who is expected to pressure the Lebanese government to take matters seriously.” It also noted that Washington cancelled the Lebanese army commander’s planned visit to the United States, following his statement describing Israel as the enemy.
The paper continued: “The problem Israel recognises is that a large part of the Lebanese army is still composed of Shia personnel, making it difficult to confront them alongside Hezbollah.” It argued that another challenge is the low salaries of Lebanese soldiers, averaging around 200 dollars, compared to Hezbollah fighters who earn triple that amount.
The newspaper concluded that Lebanon’s economic situation remains dire, with constant fears of collapse and civil war preventing any decisive measures. It claimed that Hezbollah is exploiting this weakness to strengthen its presence and remains capable of smuggling weapons into Lebanon.
