Israel Keeps Moving up the Escalation Ladder, Hoping Nasrallah Will Jump Off

The Decision on the Next Stage of the Fight Remains in Nasrallah’s Hands

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (Left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel hopes Nasrallah and his Iranian patrons will decide the price of their ideological and practical support for Hamas is becoming too high.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (Left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel hopes Nasrallah and his Iranian patrons will decide the price of their ideological and practical support for Hamas is becoming too high.

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Israeli jets carried out massive airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Monday, the latest escalation in its attempt to force Hezbollah to stop its 11 months of fire on northern Israel.

According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel is “destroying thousands of missiles and rockets aimed at Israeli cities and Israeli citizens.”

If the terror group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, insists on continuing to launch rockets and drones at Israel to demonstrate solidarity with Hamas — a decision that has cost his organization and Lebanese citizens dearly — Israel’s current attacks will prove advantageous in the event of a ground invasion of Lebanon.

Monday’s strikes are the latest in a series of blows against the Shiite group. An Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb on Friday killed top Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil and other leaders of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force.

Read the full article at the Times of Israel.

Lazar Berman is the diplomatic correspondent at the Times of Israel, where he also covers Christian Affairs. He holds an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University and taught at Salahuddin University in Iraqi Kurdistan. Berman is a reserve captain in the IDF’s Commando Brigade and served in a Bedouin unit during his active service.
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