Lebanon, caught in the grip of an imposed war

The conflict in Iran, triggered over a month ago by the United States and Israel, has added fuel to the fire of the conflict between Lebanon and Israel. Hezbollah, acting in support of Tehran, has stepped up rocket and drone attacks since the beginning of March. In response, the Israeli army has stepped up its air strikes and launched a massive ground invasion of southern Lebanon. Officially, the aim is to secure the border area, which has been plagued by incessant shelling since October 2023. However, the scale of the destruction and the establishment of military structures raise fears of a desire for prolonged occupation, or even the de facto annexation of a ‘secure zone’. The conflict has already caused more than 1,200 deaths and the displacement of one million people, according to the Lebanese government and UN agencies. Whilst Israel seeks to dismantle Hezbollah once and for all, as it sought to do with Hamas in Gaza, Lebanon is sinking into a serious humanitarian crisis.

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