[News] Fire with fire: Escalation meets retaliation as Israel holds out on a ceasefire

[Anti-Imperialist News]

  Fire with fire: Escalation meets retaliation as Israel holds out on a
  ceasefire

Israel's recent military rampage across Beirut was meant to give Tel 
Aviv a strong negotiating hand in ceasefire talks. But Hezbollah's 
unprecedented retaliation on Tel Aviv showed that there will be no 
military solution for the occupation state, only punishment in kind.

Hassan Jouni <https://thecradle.co/authors/hassan-jouni>

NOV 20, 2024 - 
https://thecradle.co/articles/fire-with-fire-escalation-meets-retaliation-as-israel-holds-out-on-a-ceasefire

Photo Credit: The Cradle

Successive developments are unfolding in the ongoing confrontation 
between the Israeli occupation forces and the Lebanese resistance. In 
the last week, the situation has escalated, with mutual targeting by 
both sides.

The intensification in the battlefield, instigated by the Israeli army 
in early October following the launch of their “limited” ground invasion 
<https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27198>into south Lebanon, was 
expected. It came in advance of a sensitive stage in negotiations after 
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's receipt of a draft ceasefire 
agreement from US Ambassador to Beirut Lisa Johnson 
<https://thecradle.co/articles/compromised-sovereignty-the-us-takeover-of-lebanon>, 
who envisages a “post-Hezbollah” phase 
<https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27244>for the Levantine state.

Israel, confident in its US-supported military superiority, has opted to 
negotiate under fire, continuing its campaign of systematic destruction 
and civilian targeting. To understand the current dynamics, it is 
essential to examine the most prominent points of confrontation on the 
ground and link them to the ongoing talks between the various affiliated 
parties.

*Negotiating under fire*

The significance of last week’s targeting of Israel’s military 
headquarters and Ministry of Defense 
<https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27694> in Tel Aviv may have escaped 
the notice of many observers, given the Hebrew media's efforts to 
downplay the event as part of Israel's broader blackout strategy 
<https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27111>.

However, this event was notable, both morally and strategically. It 
marks the first time in Israel's short history that the headquarters of 
its military command – where strategic decisions are made and war is 
managed – has been directly targeted.

Such an action delivers a severe blow to the occupation army’s 
reputation and challenges its supposed invulnerability. In terms of 
field implications, this targeting sends a powerful message that 
political and military leaders are equally vulnerable, as conveyed by 
the Hezbollah drone strike on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 
residence <https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27345>. These strikes 
demonstrate the resistance's capability to hit critical locations 
whenever it chooses, despite the major shake-up following the loss of 
secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah 
<https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27086>and other senior leaders.

The Netanyahu government has made it clear, through both rhetoric and 
action, that it wants negotiations to proceed under the ongoing threat 
of military escalation. Believing in its overwhelming advantage on the 
battlefield, it aims to force Beirut into agreeing to terms that would 
compromise Lebanon’s national sovereignty 
<https://thecradle.co/articles/lebanon-negotiating-under-israeli-fire-tel-aviv-not-to-be-trusted-report>. 
Yet, the reality on the ground tells a different story.

*Retaliation and ongoing resistance*

Far from being weakened, the Lebanese resistance continues to retaliate 
effectively. In addition to striking Tel Aviv, it has launched sustained 
attacks 
<https://thecradle.co/articles/haifa-mayor-warns-city-at-standstill-due-to-heavy-hezbollah-attacks>on 
Haifa, the third largest city in Israel, as well as multiple cities and 
settlements across an area exceeding 5,000 square kilometers.

This has forced millions of Israeli settlers to live under the constant 
blare of sirens, with their dreams of resettling in northern occupied 
Palestine becoming increasingly elusive. Hezbollah's actions not only 
seek to thwart the key Israeli war goal of returning its populations to 
the north, but are a clear indication that the resistance is very much 
capable of inflicting and sustaining significant damage to the enemy, 
its cities, infrastructure, and military centers.

Moreover, the Lebanese resistance and its community have repeatedly 
shown their unwillingness to compromise on their goal of supporting 
Palestine and its liberation, a cause for which they have paid a heavy 
price in blood and lives throughout decades of conflict.

*Tel Aviv for Beirut *

The occupation state’s military escalation on Beirut occurred just as 
the Lebanese were preparing an appropriate response to the draft 
agreement presented to Berri. Having apparently run out of Hezbollah 
military targets, Israel decided to assassinate a civilian figure – 
Hezbollah's media relations officer Mohammed Afif 
<https://thecradle.co/articles/hezbollah-media-relations-chief-assassinated-by-israel-in-heart-of-beirut>– 
who was not directly involved in military activities.

That operation did not represent a significant military achievement but 
rather a dangerous shift in the pattern of Israel's targeted killings, 
now extending to civilian political figures in the movement.

Following the assassination, Beirut continued to be targeted for the 
next 48 hours, with Israel attacking two other locations in the heart of 
Beirut – Mar Elias Street <https://www.sana.sy/en/?p=341840>, a bustling 
area far removed from any military significance, and Zoukaq al-Balat. 
According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, the Israeli airstrikes 
claimed the lives of nine civilians and injured 45 others.

This spate of attacks prompted Hezbollah to execute an immediate and 
decisive response against Tel Aviv 
<https://thecradle.co/articles/hezbollah-missile-makes-direct-impact-in-tel-aviv>. 
Eluding Israel's vaunted defense systems, a ballistic missile hit the 
city, followed the next day by another major retaliation targeting deep 
within Israeli territory.

These qualitative military responses came after Lebanon submitted what 
it described as positive answers to the draft agreement, conveying a 
powerful message on three fronts: First, any Israeli targeting of Beirut 
will inevitably lead to a retaliatory strike on Tel Aviv. The resistance 
has established a clear parallel between the two capitals, ensuring that 
any escalation against Beirut will be met with a similar response.

Second, the resistance's willingness to engage with the draft agreement 
is not a sign of weakness, but rather a desire to end a war that Lebanon 
did not initiate. Tellingly, multiple operations were launched as White 
House envoy Amos Hochstein 
<https://thecradle.co/articles/hezbollah-rockets-rain-down-on-israel-as-us-envoy-arrives-in-beirut-for-ceasefire-talks>arrived 
in Beirut for ceasefire talks with Lebanese officials. The strategy 
guiding the resistance remains defensive, aiming to keep the pressure on 
the enemy without capitulation. Third, Tel Aviv’s claims late last month 
– that 80 percent 
<https://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-said-meeting-on-lebanon-diplomatic-solution-hezbollah-has-lost-80-of-its-rockets/>of 
Hezbollah's missile capabilities had been destroyed – were answered 
directly through this fierce retaliation. As Israeli activist Uri 
Feltman conceded, 
<https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/506497/Tel-Aviv-on-fire-amid-Hezbollah-attacks>“Netanyahu’s 
claim of wiping out 80 percent of Hezbollah’s missiles was pure 
fantasy.” The resistance made clear that these claims were baseless, 
delivering a harsh response that demonstrated their continued 
operational strength.

*Failure to re-settle North Palestine and to advance in South Lebanon*

As Israel entered the second phase of its ground operations, it quickly 
became evident that this stage was not proceeding as planned. Despite 
sustained efforts over four days, occupation forces struggled to make 
meaningful advances.

Attempts to move through key areas 
<https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27729>such as Shamaa, Bayada, Tallusa, 
Ainata, and the legendary Bint Jbeil were repeatedly thwarted, with 
Israeli forces facing numerous resistance ambushes and indirect strikes. 
These clashes have resulted in more than 18 Israeli fatalities, 32 
wounded soldiers, and the destruction of several Merkava tanks.

The continued presence of Hezbollah forces in these areas exposes the 
inability of the Israeli army to secure a decisive victory. Despite its 
advanced military capabilities, Israel has not managed to occupy a 
single village, facing stiff resistance at every turn and absorbing 
punishing, deadly hits.

The ongoing confrontation has proven that a military solution is 
unattainable for Israel, regardless of how long the conflict persists. 
The only viable path to secure a return to stability for its northern 
settlers is through a political agreement in accordance with the 
principles of Resolution 1701 
<https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1155221>.

In his last speech before his assassination, the late Hezbollah 
secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah confidently taunted 
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sayyed-nasrallah-challenges-netanyahu-to-return-settlers-to>: 
“Can Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu return the settlers to 
the north? We are taking this on as a challenge, knowing full well they 
can't, regardless of the course of action they take.” That was 
Nasrallah's promise, and this is now the Lebanese resistance's mission.
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