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<h1 class="gmail-">Fire with fire: Escalation meets retaliation
as Israel holds out on a ceasefire </h1>
<p class="gmail-">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.</p>
<div class="gmail-another-name">
<p><a href="https://thecradle.co/authors/hassan-jouni"
style="color:rgb(164,4,4)" moz-do-not-send="true">Hassan
Jouni</a></p>
</div>
<div class="gmail-another-name" style="margin-top:16px">
<p><span>NOV 20, 2024 - </span><font size="1"><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/fire-with-fire-escalation-meets-retaliation-as-israel-holds-out-on-a-ceasefire"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://thecradle.co/articles/fire-with-fire-escalation-meets-retaliation-as-israel-holds-out-on-a-ceasefire</a></font></p>
</div>
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<div class="gmail-inner-article-img"><img
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alt="" width="504" height="238" style="margin-right: 0px;"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span>Photo Credit: The Cradle</span></div>
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<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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. </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">The intensification in
the battlefield, instigated by the Israeli army in
early October following the launch of their
“limited” </span><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27198"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">ground
invasion</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">
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 </span><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/compromised-sovereignty-the-us-takeover-of-lebanon"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">Lisa
Johnson</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">,
who envisages a </span><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27244"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">“post-Hezbollah”
phase</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"> for
the Levantine state. </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"><strong>Negotiating
under fire</strong></span></p>
<p>The significance of last week’s targeting of
Israel’s <a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27694"
moz-do-not-send="true">military headquarters and
Ministry of Defense</a> 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 <a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27111"
moz-do-not-send="true">broader blackout strategy</a>.</p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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. </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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 </span><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27345"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">Benjamin
Netanyahu’s residence</span></a><span lang="EN-US"
dir="ltr">. 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 </span><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27086"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">Hassan
Nasrallah</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">
and other senior leaders. </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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 </span><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/lebanon-negotiating-under-israeli-fire-tel-aviv-not-to-be-trusted-report"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">compromise
Lebanon’s national sovereignty</span></a><span
lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">. Yet, the reality on the
ground tells a different story.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"><strong>Retaliation and
ongoing resistance</strong></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">Far from being weakened,
the Lebanese resistance continues to retaliate
effectively. In addition to striking Tel Aviv, it
has launched </span><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/haifa-mayor-warns-city-at-standstill-due-to-heavy-hezbollah-attacks"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">sustained
attacks</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"> on
Haifa, the third largest city in Israel, as well as
multiple cities and settlements across an area
exceeding 5,000 square kilometers.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"><strong>Tel Aviv for
Beirut </strong></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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 </span><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/hezbollah-media-relations-chief-assassinated-by-israel-in-heart-of-beirut"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">Mohammed
Afif</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"> – who
was not directly involved in military activities.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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. </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">Following the
assassination, Beirut continued to be targeted for
the next 48 hours, with Israel attacking two other
locations in the heart of Beirut – </span><a
href="https://www.sana.sy/en/?p=341840"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">Mar
Elias Street</span></a><span lang="EN-US"
dir="ltr">, 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. </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">This spate of attacks
prompted Hezbollah to execute an immediate and </span><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/hezbollah-missile-makes-direct-impact-in-tel-aviv"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">decisive
response against Tel Aviv</span></a><span
lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">. 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.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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 </span><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/hezbollah-rockets-rain-down-on-israel-as-us-envoy-arrives-in-beirut-for-ceasefire-talks"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">Amos
Hochstein</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">
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 </span><a
href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-said-meeting-on-lebanon-diplomatic-solution-hezbollah-has-lost-80-of-its-rockets/"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">80
percent</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"> of
Hezbollah's missile capabilities had been destroyed
– were answered directly through this fierce
retaliation. As Israeli activist Uri Feltman </span><a
href="https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/506497/Tel-Aviv-on-fire-amid-Hezbollah-attacks"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">conceded,</span></a><span
lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"> “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.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"><strong>Failure to
re-settle North Palestine and to advance in South
Lebanon</strong></span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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. </span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">Attempts to move through
</span><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/27729"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">key
areas</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr"> 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.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">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 </span><a
href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/10/1155221"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">Resolution
1701</span></a><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">.</span></p>
<p><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">In his last speech
before his assassination, the late Hezbollah
secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah confidently </span><a
href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sayyed-nasrallah-challenges-netanyahu-to-return-settlers-to"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">taunted</span></a><span
lang="EN-US" dir="ltr">: “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.</span></p>
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