Approaching the Brink of War: Washington Pessimistic About De-escalation in Southern Lebanon

Israeli Channel 12 reported, citing security sources, that “Israel is ready to proceed to the end, with no other option to restore the residents in the north.”

It added that “Israel and Hezbollah are nearing the brink of war, and the security establishment is preparing for a strong response,” noting that “there is a complete closure of the beaches in the Sea of Galilee region due to security developments.”

On the other hand, Politico reported that U.S. officials acknowledged that Israeli strikes represent a setback to Washington’s efforts to avoid a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Officials added that Washington’s assessments indicate that it is difficult to de-escalate between Israel and Hezbollah soon.

Israeli security sources indicated that Hezbollah’s response to the recent Israeli attacks may come within the next 24 hours.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the sources mentioned that the alert level in Israel has peaked, and Hezbollah’s response may not be delayed, as seen following the assassination of Fuad Shukr in late July.

One of the heads of the settlements in northern occupied Palestine revealed on Saturday that they received a request from the Israeli army to prepare for tough days ahead, following an increase in intense bombardment between Israel and Hezbollah after the assassination of key figures in the party.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted one of the settlement leaders, whose name was not mentioned, as saying, “The commander of the northern region, Uri Gordin, asked us during a meeting held on Friday to prepare for complicated and difficult days.”

Similarly, Gordin assessed the situation with several brigades serving in the northern region after the decision taken by Tel Aviv in recent days to escalate the fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to the Broadcasting Authority.

The Israeli authority pointed out that the northern command in the Israeli army “continues its preparations for further expansion of the fighting with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.”

On Saturday, the Israeli army and Hezbollah exchanged intense and mutual bombardment in a noticeable escalation following statements by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who announced on Thursday evening that the war with Hezbollah had entered a “new phase.”

One of the most prominent signs of this escalation was the destruction of communication devices across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, leading to 37 martyrs and more than 3,250 injured, alongside intensified airstrikes on southern Lebanon and other towns in the interior, culminating in an attack on the southern suburb of Beirut on Friday.

On Friday, Hezbollah confirmed in a statement the assassination of military commander Ibrahim Aqil in an attack on the southern suburb of Beirut.

On Saturday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that the death toll from the attack on the southern suburb had risen to 37 people, including children and women, in addition to 68 injured.

Since October 8, Lebanese and Palestinian factions in Lebanon, most notably Hezbollah, have been exchanging daily shelling with the Israeli army across the “Blue Line,” resulting in hundreds of casualties, mostly on the Lebanese side.

These factions demand an end to the war waged by Israel, with U.S. backing, on Gaza since October 7, which has resulted in more than 137,000 Palestinian martyrs and injured, most of them children and women, with over 10,000 missing amid massive destruction and a deadly famine.