Israel's last examination of Hezbollah ended in the stalemate

Israel's last examination of Hezbollah ended in the stalemate

The Ziv Hospital in northern Israel is in a state of the highest alert. Non -urgent operations were suspended, the staff was asked to donate blood if necessary, and all patients - including newborns in the maternity ward - were moved to underground areas.

preparations for possible conflicts

The expectation here is clear: If Israel sends other troops to the south of Lebanon, this could be bloody. "We have been in a war situation for a year, but after the military invaded Lebanon, our services and all staff are ready for the next wave of injuries," said the director of the hospital, Salman Zarka, in an interview with CNN.

The Civic Medical Center-Lifesaver in the Crisis

The Ziv Medical Center is the only hospital in the region and the closest to the borders of Israel with Lebanon and Syria as well as the occupied Golan heights. The Hospital in Safed has received people who were violated when the border has been violated, including children who have "target =" _ blank "in the fatal attack on Majdal Shams were injured.

military tensions and escalation

Last week, when the Israeli defense forces (IDF) started a soil surgery against the militant group Hisbollah supported by Iran in southern Lebanon, the commanders made it clear that each action would be "limited", both in the geographical extent and in the long run. Nevertheless, the reality on site indicates that preparation for a much larger war takes place.

On Tuesday, the IDF announced that units from four divisions are now fighting in southern Lebanon. The troop strength remains secret, but every division could consist of around 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers. In addition, the evacuation orders were extended to about a quarter of the Lebanese territory, which affects more than 1.2 million people who were sold according to the United Nations.

international security concerns

Daniel Sobelman, an international security expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, expressed that the IDF had deliberately vague about the scope of the operation. "Originally, Israel said that it was all about destroying all of the Hisbollah infrastructures on the other side of the fence," he said.

However, this infrastructure extends far beyond the first few hundred meters and extends to Beirut and the Bekaatal. "If Israel really intends to clean this area, we are talking about a very long -term operation," he added.

memories of past conflicts

The idea of ​​a large -scale ground invasion ensures concern on both sides of the border, since the memories of the last war are still fresh. The conflict of 2006, known as the "Second Lebanon War", ended in a stalemate after 34 days. Around 1,100 Lebanese and around 170 Israelis, including 120 soldiers, lost their lives.

For the Lebanese, the current conflict is already bloodier than the last war. According to a count of CNN, over 1,500 people have been killed in Lebanon since September 16, when Israel reinforced his offensive against the Hisbollah.

international criticism and consequences

Several international organizations have criticized Israel because of the escalation. The United Nations explained in the past month that "while the Hisbollah fires numerous rockets indiscriminately and forces thousands of Israelis to flee, Israel has escalated its indiscriminate major attacks in Lebanon", and warned that increasing violence "reinforces instability".

Although the losses on the Israeli side are far less and mostly militarily, they are still considerable: at least 14 IDF soldiers were killed. ZARKA told CNN that a constant current of injured soldiers had come to the hospital since the beginning of the soil surgery - the hospital had only received more than 100 in the first few days.

resistance and military challenges

Both the IDF and the Hisbollah reported violent battles and several cross -border attacks last week. The Hisbollah's resistance surprised many observers because Israel recently killed almost the entire leadership of the group supported by Iran, including their long -time boss Hassan Nasrallah.

Nevertheless, the Hisbollah continues to fire rockets on Israel regularly. While most floors are intercepted by the Israeli air defense systems, some still get through. Two Israeli civilians were killed on Wednesday when a rocket Kiryat Shmona, a city a few kilometers from the border.

guerrilla war and military strategies

In theory, the Israeli army of the Hisbollah is far superior. It has more modern and sophisticated weapons, a significantly higher troop strength, better intelligence information and stronger allies. However, a soldier who spoke to CNN said that these advantages in the type of battles that contribute in the hills of Südl do not count much. "The challenge is not that the HISBOLLAH is better equipped or better trained. The challenge is in the alternation of thinking about months of struggle in urban areas in open areas," he said.

The security expert Sobelman also noticed that Israel had a similar experience in the 2006 war with the Hisbollah. "The Hisbollah was facing the strongest military power in the Middle East," he said, adding that it was not defeated, even despite the massive Israeli air strikes and artillery.

willingness for long -term confrontation

Israel's soldiers seem to be prepared for a long war. "I wish we didn't have to expand the scope of the ground unit ... but if we have to fight so that the children can go to kindergarten, without being afraid of rocket attacks, we will do that too," said the soldier compared to Cnn.

civil society perspectives

This attitude is widespread among the dozens of Israeli soldiers who met CNN during the report. But some in Israeli society are not so sure that an offensive in Lebanon is a good idea. Several civilians who live in the northern parts of Israel recently said that they fear that a soil war could become very fatal.

Some, like ITAMAR Greenberg, are ready to go to prison to protest against the war. The 18-year-old is a refusal to do war. In Israel, military service is mandatory for most citizens, men and women, and very few young people dare to refuse for ethical reasons.

Greenberg has spent 60 days in prison so far - 30 days after his first refusal and another 30 days after he was called up a second time and refused again. In conversation with CNN in Tel Aviv, four days before he was going back to prison, he spoke about the reasons for his refusal.

"This war creates the next war. The children who see their family will not stop. I am pretty sure, based on the story that they will choose resistance and violence. It is sad, but it's reality."

Report by Zeena Saifi, Cnn.