Violent subterfuge against Hezbollah leaves the militia vengeful and vulnerable – and again dashes Washington’s diplomacy
For American diplomacy in the Middle East, the extraordinary attack in Lebanon that simultaneously detonated hundreds of pagers used bymembers could not have come at a less auspicious moment – and may still spark an escalation that the US had been seeking desperately to avoid.and other senior Israeli officials against an escalation in Lebanon.
The attacks have probably disrupted the organisation’s communications. The pagers were obtained as a low-risk alternative to mobile phones, allowing the group to communicate remotely without opening itself up to drone strikes as part of Israel’s campaign of targeted assassinations of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders.
The Israeli government last night announced that it would broaden its war aims to include the return of tens of thousands of civilians to its border with Lebanon, potentially handing Netanyahu a casus belli if he decides to launch a ground invasion into Lebanon, as some Israeli and US officials fear he will.
The White House had hoped that a period of quiet around Israel would allow for ceasefire negotiators to achieve a breakthrough, as intermediaries shuttle between Hamas and Israel to thread the needle of both sides’ complex demands regarding a hostage exchange and territorial claims.
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