world news
Blinken, Borrell call for diplomatic solution to Hezbollah conflict
Evacuated Israelis must be able to return to their homes on the country’s northern border, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday night as he called for a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Hezbollah.
“It is very important that Israelis have security in the North,” Blinken said as he wrapped up a trip to Turkey and Greece and prepared to head for what he said is his fourth tour of the Middle East since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. It will include stops in Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt.
Blinken’s trip is focused on the Gaza war, freeing the hostages held there, and preventing an all-out war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
“We have an intense focus on preventing this conflict from spreading,” he said, as he noted, in particular, the plight of Israelis who had been evacuated from their homes on the northern border 90 days ago at the start of the Israel-Hamas war.“Tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes in northern Israel because of the threat posed by Hezbollah,” Blinken said.
“We are looking at ways – diplomatically – to try and defuse that tension so that people can return to their homes; so they can live in peace and security. This is something that we are actively working on,” he said.
The desires and needs of Israel
Israel is “clearly not interested and does not want escalation. That has been made clear from the start,” Blinken said, adding, “but they have to be prepared to defend themselves and defend their rights to live in their own country.”
He said that “from Lebanon’s perspective it is not in the interest of Lebanon to see any escalation. So the question is in large part Hezbollah and what actions it will take” and how countries with ties to Hezbollah can use their influence to calm the situation. “For us, to use our own diplomacy to see if we can find a way to produce some more sustained calm in northern Israel and southern Lebanon.”
Blinken’s expected trip to Israel this week follows a visit to Israel on Thursday by US special envoy Amos Hochstein.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Hochstein on Thursday that Israel is committed to bringing about a fundamental change on its border with Lebanon, according to a statement from his office. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Hochstein that the window for diplomacy was closing.
As part of the diplomatic blitz expected this week, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will visit Israel and Lebanon.
Counselor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet and Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf will also be in the region this week, visiting Jordan and Israel.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell visited Lebanon on Saturday and called for a diplomatic solution, including the implementation of UN Security Council 1701, which set out the ceasefire terms that ended the Second Lebanon War. That resolution mandates that the only armed group that can exist on Israel’s border is the Lebanese army and not a non-state actor such as Hezbollah.
“I think that the war can be prevented, has to be avoided, and diplomacy can prevail to look for a better solution,” Borrell said during a joint press conference with Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.
“It is imperative to avoid a regional escalation in the Middle East, it is absolutely necessary to avoid Lebanon being dragged into a regional conflict. This is the last thing Lebanon needs,” Borrell stated.
“More than 70,000 civilians have already been displaced in Lebanon, 200,000 in northern Israel. Almost 50,000 olive trees have been burnt on the border,” he explained.
“Nobody stands to gain from a regional conflict,” Borrell said, adding that he was directing this message to both Israel and Hezbollah.
“Diplomatic channels have to be open to signal that the war is not the only option, is the worst option, and to keep working on a diplomatic solution,” he said during a joint press conference with Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.
Lebanon is committed to de-escalating the situation Habib said – and wants to see the full implementation of Resolution 1701. He cautioned, however, that “the only political solution that will put an end to the conflict in the Middle East is to end the Palestinian conflict.”
The IDF said Saturday that 40 “launches” from Lebanon toward the area of Meron were identified. There were no reports of casualties or damage. Hezbollah said it had hit a key Israeli observation post with 62 rockets as a “preliminary response” to the killing of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri on Tuesday.
Tensions have been especially high in the area since Arouri was killed by a drone in the southern suburbs of Beirut – a stronghold of Hamas’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah – in an attack widely attributed to Israel.
On Saturday night, Netanyahu issued a video statement expressing his determination to destroy Hamas.
“Three months ago, Hamas committed a terrible massacre against us. My government directed the IDF to go to war to eliminate Hamas, return our hostages, and ensure that Gaza will never again be a threat to Israel. The war must not be stopped until we achieve all of the goals. We will not give Hamas any immunity whatsoever, and we will fight until we restore security in both the South and the North,” Netanyahu stated.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Newly elected Prime Minister Kier Starmer put the Gaza war and a two-state solution high on his foreign policy agenda, with calls to both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday.
Starmer underscored Great Britain’s commitment to recognizing Palestinian statehood in his conversation with Abbas.
He noted that Great Britain could recognize Palestinian statehood during the process for a two-state solution rather than at the end of one.
It’s a stance that had been held by former Foreign Secretary David Cameron from the Conservative Party, but who had said that the time to do so was not now.Starmer brought the issue up in his first phone call with Abbas. A readout of the call from 10 Downing Street framed it this way: “Discussing the importance of reform, and ensuring international legitimacy for Palestine, the Prime Minister said that his longstanding policy on recognition to contribute to a peace process had not changed, and it was the undeniable right of Palestinians.”
Abbas affirmed his commitment to a two-state resolution to the conflict and underscored the importance of British unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood, according to WAFA, the Palestine News & Information Agency.
WAFA further reported that newly appointed Foreign Secretary David Lammy would soon visit the region, including the West Bank.
Calls made by the UK’s new PM
Starmer’s calls with Netanyahu and Abbas were the 14th and 15th ones he made to heads of government or international blocs since taking office on Friday. His first call was to US President Joe Biden, his second was to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his third was to European Union European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The British politician swept into office on Friday as the head of the left-wing Labour Party, marking a dramatic upset for the United Kingdom which has been ruled by the right-wing Conservative Party since 2010.
Starmer had worked since his wresting of the party’s helm from its former leader Jeremy Corbyn, to distance Labour from the anti-Israel and antisemitic accusations leveled against it during the Corbyn years.
He alluded to that transformation in his victory speech on Thursday night, when he said it took four-and-a-half years to change the party.
“This is what it is for, a changed Labour Party,” he said.
Pundits have speculated that Starmer, whose wife Victoria is Jewish will maintain the strong Israeli-British ties, but would be more critical of Israel with respect to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak had been one of Israel’s staunch allies during these last nine months when it has fought Iranian proxies on its southern and northern borders.
Great Britain was also one of five armies that took to the skies in April to defend Israel against an Iranian drone and missile attack.
Starmer told Netanyahu he looked forward to “further deepening the close relationship between the two countries” as the two men discussed the “importance of regional security in the Middle East,” according to Downing Street.
The British Prime Minister said he was “committed to continuing the UK and Israel’s vital cooperation to deter malign threats,” Downing Street said in its readout of the call. Starmer also said he was concerned by the cross-border violence between the IDF and Hezbollah as he called on all parties to act cautiously.
Lammy told Reuters he wanted a balanced position on the war in the Middle East and would use diplomatic efforts to ensure a ceasefire is reached and the remaining 120 hostages held by Hamas are released.
“The time has come for the United Kingdom to reconnect with the outside world,” Lammy said in an interview in Berlin.
“I want to get back to a balanced position on Israel and Gaza. We’ve been very clear that we want to see a ceasefire … We want to see those hostages out.”
He added: “The fighting has to stop, the aid has got to get in, and I will use all diplomatic efforts to ensure that we get to that ceasefire.”
Lammy did not elaborate.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Israel has long experienced strife with its neighbors, and the country of Lebanon is no exception.
The two countries have fought multiple conflicts, and tensions have always remained high along the border. And in recent months, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas War, experts fear a dangerous escalation between the two countries seems more likely.
But what is the Israel-Lebanon conflict? How did it start? Who are the key players involved?
Here is everything you need to know.Where is Israel?
Israel is a country in the Middle East, specifically in the Levant region. It is steeped in thousands of years of history and has been the home of numerous civilizations and religious faiths.
Israel is bordered by Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the Palestinian territories and is on the coast of both the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
While most countries consider Tel Aviv its capital, Israel and a few other countries, such as the United States, recognize Jerusalem as the capital. Its largest city in the North is Haifa.
Israel also has control over a region known as the Golan Heights, which borders Syria and Lebanon. Israel formally annexed the territory, and its sovereignty was recognized by the US, but other countries only see it as occupied territory.
Where is Lebanon?
Lebanon is an Arab country in the Middle East bordered only by Israel and Syria. Its coastline is along the Mediterranean Sea, and the island nation of Cyprus is relatively close by across the sea. Lebanon’s capital city is Beirut.
Like Israel, Lebanon has a rich history going back thousands of years. It has been home to numerous religious faiths and nations throughout the ages. Most recently, it was a French colony before becoming independent in the 1940s.
How long is the Israel-Lebanon border?
The Israel-Lebanon border is an ongoing debate, and neither of the two countries involved has agreed upon it.
According to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the de facto border, around 120 kilometers long, is known as the Blue Line. It is a demarcation line separating Israel and the Golan Heights from Lebanon. However, it is considered a mere withdrawal line, not a permanent border.
Currently, several locations along this line are the subject of a dispute over sovereignty between Israel and Lebanon, including the town of Ghajar, the Shebaa Farms, and the peak of Rosh Hanikra.
A dispute also existed over the Israeli-Lebanon maritime border, specifically over control of the Kana and Karish natural gas fields, but this dispute was settled in 2022.
Why are Israel and Lebanon enemies?
This is a complicated question with considerable history attached.
Israel and Lebanon have been enemies since 1948 when Lebanon took part in the Arab attack on the nascent Jewish state in the War of Independence. Since then, they have officially been enemy states.
Relations were worsened during the Lebanese Civil War and the first Israeli-Lebanon War (see below), and the two countries don’t have ties to this day.
The issue has a lot of nuances and factors in hostile elements in Lebanon, such as Hezbollah (see below).
Why did Israel invade Lebanon in 1982?
Israel had been in conflict with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for years. The organization had taken root in southern Lebanon and had launched a series of attacks against Israel, with the IDF having launched counterattacks.
After an assassination attempt by Palestinian terrorists on Israeli ambassador Shlomo Argov, then-Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin ordered the invasion of Lebanon to wipe out the PLO.
It should be noted that many historians and records point to the Abu Nidal Organization, rather than the PLO, as being behind the assassination attempt at the behest of Iraq to spark a war in Lebanon. Still, ultimately, the stated goal of the invasion was to target the PLO and its Syrian allies.
To do this, Israel allied with Maronite Christian groups such as the Lebanese Front and the Phalangists and swept into Southern Lebanon and occupied it. The result was the PLO relocating out of Lebanon and the installation of a new regime under Bachir Gemayel.
However, Israel couldn’t maintain its position in the area following Gemayel’s assassination and the Sabra and Shalita massacre, where Israel’s Phalangist allies massacred Palestinian civilians.
Why did Israel leave Lebanon?
As Israeli public opinion towards the war continued to sour and after a peace treaty became more and more unlikely to happen, the IDF had to withdraw to southern Lebanon, which they finished doing in 1985.
Occupying southern Lebanon allowed Israel to establish a security buffer, keeping mainland Israel safe from cross-border attacks by Palestinian terrorist groups.
However, Lebanese and Palestinian forces continued to wage a guerilla conflict against Israel and its allies over the next 15 years as the occupation continued to worsen relations with locals.
Eventually, Hezbollah became the dominant guerilla force in the region and was able to threaten the Galilee region with rocket fire and psychological warfare, which Israel struggled to combat against.
Eventually, in 2000, then-Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak withdrew from southern Lebanon unilaterally, fulfilling his campaign promise.
What is Hezbollah?
Hezbollah is a Shi’ite Islamist terrorist group and political party in Lebanon founded in 1985. It was initially established as a response to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and quickly came under the backing of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Hezbollah, led currently by Hassan Nasrallah, swiftly became the dominant armed group in Lebanon and was able to help push Israel out of southern Lebanon. Its fighters are well-trained and have also participated in conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Syria.
Over the years, Hezbollah has grown in power, being widely considered to be better equipped and trained than the Lebanese Army and arguably the strongest non-state actor anywhere in the world. It boasts tens of thousands of armed fighters, including the highly-trained Radwan Force commandos, and a wide range of rockets, missiles, drones, tanks, and other armored vehicles. Much of its military funding and training comes from its ally Iran.
Hezbollah has also achieved political power, winning control of large swathes of the Lebanese parliament during elections. It maintains its own affiliated news outlets, social services, radio and satellite TV stations, and more. It has gained so much power in Lebanon that many refer to Hezbollah as a state within a state.
However, Hezbollah is widely considered a terrorist organization around the world, though many, like the European Union, argue that only its military wing is a terrorist organization while its political faction is not. Exceptions to this trend include Russia, Iraq, China, North Korea, Syria, and Algeria.
In addition, Hezbollah has maintained that its primary goal is the destruction of Israel.
How many missiles does Hezbollah have aimed at Israel?
In late October 2023, publicly available sources gathered by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) at Tel Aviv University and the US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) noted that Hezbollah had around 150,000 missiles and rockets of various types. These include short-range rockets to guided missiles, anti-ship, anti-tank, and surface-to-air missiles. Some of these missiles, such as the Fateh-110, could reach well into Israel’s South, with a range of around 300 kilometers. These missiles, unlike rockets, are also very accurate, boasting GPS navigation.
This is also without mentioning an unknown number of drones in Hezbollah’s possession.
However, these exact figures are outdated as the war has raged on, and the current statistics are unknown.
Why did Hezbollah attack Israel in 2006?
On July 12, 2006, Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in a diversionary tactic, carrying out a targeted anti-tank missile strike on IDF vehicles, killing eight soldiers and taking two others prisoner, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.
Hezbollah proceeded to demand certain prisoners be freed in exchange for the Israeli soldiers. Still, Israel instead carried out a military assault, sending ground troops into southern Lebanon while striking targets from the air and sea.
Hezbollah’s motivation appears to be to force Israel into a prisoner exchange, though they also claimed issue with Israel’s continued control over the disputed Shebaa Farms.
Why is Israel attacking in Lebanon?
The current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah was started just a day after Hamas attacked Israel, carrying out the October 7 Massacre.
That very next day, Hezbollah carried out attacks on the Shebaa Farms and declared support for Hamas’s actions.
This was further exacerbated by Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Lebanon carrying out attacks on Israel, as well as Israel’s tensions with Iran.
Following this, tensions have continued to escalate as both sides trade fire over the border, and many in Israel are raising calls to launch a more extensive campaign to eliminate Hezbollah to preserve Israel’s security interests.
Hundreds have already been killed or wounded due to the conflict, and it remains to be seen how this will escalate going forward.
world news
‘When America’s weak, the axis strengthens’: Fmr. Mossad official says Hezbollah fears war
Oded Ilam, a former senior Mossad official, spoke recently with Arel Segal on his show on 103FM radio to discuss the implications of Biden’s failure in the recent presidential debate against Donald Trump and the possible escalation in the North.
Ilam began by saying, “The Americans, although I don’t think they are anti-Israeli, continue to misunderstand the situation we are in. Biden and his administration have their hearts in the right place. The famous ‘warning’ that Biden gave to the Iranians didn’t move them at all. They attacked Israel anyway, and the American response was that the administration issued condolences for Raisi’s death. The American administration repeatedly shows weakness, which is also reflected in the ongoing negotiations.”
“Every time Hamas does not accept a deal with Israel, we are forced to step back two more steps. It is hard for me to see a situation where Hamas allows us to write up another agreement that doesn’t include withdrawing from the Philadelphi Corridor,” Ilam noted. “I can assume that when America is weak, the axis strengthens. This confrontation is very significant. I saw Biden’s performance in Atlanta, where he was different than at the recent debate. He was excellent. The same team that advised him to go to the debate is exactly the same team that shapes America’s policy.”
Israel-Lebanon conflict parties aim to avoid war
Ilam further added that “the Israel-Lebanon situation is interesting. All four main players, the US, Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel, do not want war. The one who least wants war is Nasrallah, who entered the situation in a very difficult state, both economically and in terms of his legitimacy from within Lebanon itself.”
“All four players do not want war. Nasrallah is waiting for the moment when Sinwar signs an agreement. I think they are sending him messages to urge him to sign. Even if this does not happen, the chance of a full-scale war decreases in favor of a settlement. Is a settlement good for Israel based on the current situation? That is another question,” Ilam concluded.
Edited by Michal Kedosh for 103FM radio.
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