All posts tagged: Hezbollah

A Christmas miracle in Syria

A Christmas miracle in Syria

Published by skeptic

(RNS) — At a time when most of the international news is full of gloom and doom, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria is a happy surprise, almost a Christmas miracle. Bashar al-Assad, the last scion of the family that ruled Syria for 50 years through fear and terror, is gone. Assad was a King Herod of our time. He arrested, tortured and killed thousands of Syrians and forced millions more into exile. He used barrel bombs and chemical weapons against his own people. Cities harboring opponents to his regime were leveled with no regard for the cost in civilian deaths, children or adults. Nowhere was safe, not churches, not hospitals. Like Herod, he slaughtered the innocent. Assad was aided and abetted by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in Lebanon. The West imposed economic sanctions to try to squeeze him out of power, but in latter years was more concerned about quashing the Islamic State group and al-Qaida than the plight of the Syrian people under Assad. American troops are still in …

‘The Slow Bleeding Out of a Country’ | Andrew Arsan

‘The Slow Bleeding Out of a Country’ | Andrew Arsan

Published by skeptic

Once again Lebanon’s inhabitants are living through—and dying in—a conflict they are powerless to end. Western leaders like British Prime Minister Keir Starmer talk of pulling “back from the brink,” as though doing so were still possible. But what is this if not war? Since last October, when Hezbollah and Israel began exchanging cross-border fire in the aftermath of Hamas’s Al-Aqsa Flood attacks, more than 2,800 people have died in Lebanon. Over 13,000 more have been injured. The Lebanese government estimates that 1.3 million people—over a fifth of the population—have fled their homes, in what the caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, described as possibly “the largest displacement” in the country’s history. Of these, more than 500,000 have crossed the border into Bashar al-Asad’s empire of ruins.  Each day and each night bring more bombardments, more deaths. After months of border fighting, Israel escalated matters on July 30, assassinating the Hezbollah military leader Fuad Shukr—who the IDF blamed for a missile strike on the occupied Golan Heights—in an air strike on the southern Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik. …

The Path to Regional War | Joost Hiltermann

The Path to Regional War | Joost Hiltermann

Published by skeptic

There are at least two ways for mutual deterrence between states—also known as mutually assured destruction—to come to an end. As the Cold War taught us, one side in the conflict can simply collapse. But deterrence can also break down when one party decides to upend the equilibrium. For more than nine months after Hamas’s horrific October 7 attack on southern Israel and the start of Israel’s devastating onslaught in Gaza, hostilities between Israel and the Iran-led “axis of resistance” (the alliance that also includes Hezbollah, Syria, Iraqi paramilitary groups, and Ansar Allah—commonly known as the Houthis—in Yemen) built steadily. The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in particular defied both sides’ previous red lines. Yet they appeared to steer clear of provoking all-out war. Then, in late July, Israel attacked a residential guesthouse in Tehran, killing Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas. Just hours earlier he had attended the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. For Israel to assassinate Haniyeh while he was staying in the Iranian capital as an official state guest …

Lebanon: Memories of War

Lebanon: Memories of War

Published by skeptic

It took a while for people to grasp what was happening as thousands of pagers beeped then detonated across Lebanon last week: in pockets, hands, and in front of faces; on streets, in cars, at homes; in grocery stores, schools, and offices. “I reported the news as it emerged but did not understand what I […] Source link

Israel’s War Cabinet Greenlights Offensive War Against Hezbollah, Sends Elite Brigade North

Israel’s War Cabinet Greenlights Offensive War Against Hezbollah, Sends Elite Brigade North

Published by skeptic

Update(1544): As many suspected and feared, this deadly two-day Israeli covert operation to blow up Hezbollah pagers, walkie-talkies, and small electronic devices was but preparation for a likely Israeli military ground operation in southern Lebanon. It appears war is here. According to breaking news wires: Israeli cabinet has given PM Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant the authorization to undertake military action against Hezbollah — even if it leads to an all-out war. So far the second day of explosions across Beirut and Lebanon have led to 20 killed and 450 wounded, but the casualty toll could be much higher. Defense Minister Gallant has also declared a “new phase” of operations against Hezbollah along northern Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF chief Herzi Halevi and other officials all issued statements Wednesday evening which appeared to suggest a full-on war with Hezbollah was brewing, hours after a wave of explosions of walkie-talkies and other communications devices used by Hezbollah members across Lebanon caused widespread casualties, echoing a similar attack a day earlier that targeted Hezbollah-issued pagers. …

Exploding pagers, psychological warfare: Israel’s attack on Hezbollah | Israel-Palestine conflict News

Exploding pagers, psychological warfare: Israel’s attack on Hezbollah | Israel-Palestine conflict News

Published by Sam

Beirut, Lebanon – At least nine people were killed and some 3,000 injured, including the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, when thousands of pagers exploded – nearly simultaneously – in Lebanon. The attack on Tuesday, which purportedly targeted members of the Hezbollah group, caused havoc in civilian areas and overwhelmed hospitals. A resident of the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp told Al Jazeera traffic was heavy as bloodied people arrived at the nearby Al Rassoul al-Azam Hospital. Lebanese hospitals called on all available medics to report for duty as injured people poured through their doors in need of treatment, many covered in blood and in visible pain. Iranian media said Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani was injured by an exploding pager. Iran’s mission in Beirut later posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying Amani’s treatment was “progressing well”, adding the reports of his “physical condition and vision are false”. Attacks were also reported in neighbouring Syria. An officer inspects a car in which a pager exploded in Beirut on September 17, 2024 [Hussein Malla/AP Photo] Hezbollah pledges ‘fair …