We often hear Mohammad Raad reiterate that “the Israeli enemy is in crisis,” to which the Hezbollah deputy always adds: “If the enemy wants to expand the conflict, we are ready.” The longer the skirmish goes on, the more evident the victory over Zionist arrogance, for we have only used a small sample of Hezbollah's missile arsenal!
Meanwhile, the “victories” continue to accumulate! In painful scenes from border villages, we see residents transporting their commercial assets and personal belongings from homes and businesses that have remained intact. The residents asked the army for protection, prompting UNIFIL to contact the Israeli side, which granted them a window of a few hours to transport their things along predetermined routes from the towns where Israel’s savagery had turned into scorched earth. Thus, the statements of Raad and other deputies of the 'resistance' parliamentary bloc look like a dance on the debris!
The horrific outcome did not come as a surprise to Hezbollah, which anticipated that the livelihoods of the region’s residents would be destroyed. While the front to “support” Gaza did not succeed in protecting a single life or roof. Rather, the effort to “harass” Israel and the boasts of a “preemptive” war devastated the region in the south of the Litani River, where around 50 villages have been rendered a security belt. They drove the country to this war, which Bismarck would have described as suicidal, with their eyes wide open. Repeating nonsense about “support” turning this into a “war of attrition” that Israel cannot live with!
Hezbollah knew that the war would destroy the south, and it forced this devastation on Lebanon, deepening sectarian rifts. When Hezbollah announced the “harassment” war, they were in contact with all the factions of the Resistance Axis. The key question posed by the party in these internal discussions was: “Do you believe that our involvement in the war will eventually end the assault on Gaza?” The response was decisive: there was nothing the resistance forces could do to “prevent Israel from moving forward with its plans against the Gaza Strip.”
They also agreed that an “expansion of the war would mean drawing in the West, which is determined to defend Israel.” Ultimately, no party could know how things would evolve with certainty! They intervened in the war nevertheless because Tehran calls the shots, and it prioritizes its interests over the rights of the local people!
During the first few months of the war, various interpretations of the “support front’s” objectives were emerging. Some believed that by opening fronts to back the war in southern Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, the Axis would send a message to Israel, America, and NATO, letting them know Gaza was not alone. These imaginings and prepackaged interpretations overlook reality. True, Hezbollah's decision to open the front did engage a significant portion of the Israeli army and its defenses. Still, it was shortsighted to bet that this front would stop the savage war on Gaza and create field and political shifts that would support and strengthen Hamas's performance!
All the statements of the resistance forces and Nasrallah's fiery speeches suggested that they were betting that Israel would not bear the economic losses in its north, where it has over $250 billion worth of investments. Nasrallah also adds that Lebanon's losses would be modest due to the South’s limited economic role (...).
Moreover, they have overlooked the massive financial and military support Israel has received, over $50 billion so far. Meanwhile, Lebanon is sinking into the most severe financial and economic collapse in its history, and it was brought about deliberately. On top of that, Lebanon is isolated because of the Resistance Axis and its state representatives in the remnants of the government and parliament. They concluded that a prolonged war would push Israel to “seek an end to the war on Gaza!” So, is it a war to stop a war? If so, it proved to be a failure, and here is Netanyahu now, thwarting ceasefire initiatives, including the one proposed by US President Biden, after having presented untenable terms and deprioritized the return of abductees. Next, his focus shifted to maintaining Israel’s occupation of the Philadelphi Route (Rafah), tightening the siege on the occupied Strip, and preserving a presence at the Nitzarim crossing, which separates the north and south of the Strip!
The only thing the resistance axis led by Tehran succeeded in was preventing Netanyahu from expanding the scope of the war. It has been more than a month since the assassination of Haniyeh in the heart of Tehran, and the Iranian regime is still considering its next steps despite all the speeches about a painful and earth-shattering response. In the end, the Supreme Leader announced that negotiations with the US on Iran’s nuclear program would resume! Meanwhile, Hezbollah's response was cautious, precise, coordinated, and undoubtedly subject to prior “understandings.” The Americans played a crucial role in navigating this highly dangerous phase, and the Axis is now hoping that the US will be generous and protect Iran’s nuclear project!
Lebanon’s tragedy cannot be blamed on Hezbollah's arrogance and tyranny alone. The blame is shared by the country’s political class, which didn't bat an eye as they saw the implementation of the plan to tie the country's fate to Israel’s decisions. The disaster in the South and Lebanon was never placed on the cabinet's agenda. There has been no genuine accountability by a parliament hijacked by the speaker, who treats it like his personal property. It is time to hold fully accountable those who said that “the field has the final word,” erasing people's dreams, hopes, and right to life. It is time to stop protesting in whispers behind closed doors!
