Sun Sep 29 05:39:03 UTC 2024: ## Israel Faces Two-Front War: Is Focus on Hezbollah a Miscalculation?
While celebrating the recent Israeli operation targeting Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, an expert argues that the focus on Hezbollah may be a strategic error for Israel. The author, writing for the Middle East Forum, contends that Israel’s limited success in Gaza, despite a year of operations against Hamas, highlights the risks of diverting resources to a second front.
“Israel’s operation in Gaza has been only tolerably successful,” the article states, citing Hamas’s intact leadership, active fighters, and continued control over the population. The author contrasts this with Israel’s swift victory against three Arab armies in the 1967 Six-Day War, highlighting the current operation’s shortcomings.
Hezbollah’s involvement in the conflict, launching 8,000 rockets and missiles into northern Israel, has further complicated the situation. While Israel initially aimed to deter Hezbollah’s attacks, the author argues that the government has expanded its goals to include the outright defeat of the organization.
This, he believes, is a strategic mistake. While a ceasefire with Hamas would mean conceding certain national interests, a ceasefire with Hezbollah would immediately stop the rocket attacks, allowing residents to return home and Israel to focus its efforts on Hamas.
The article concludes with a plea to the Netanyahu government to reconsider its strategy, prioritizing the defeat of Hamas by securing a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
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