Lebanon prepares for war with Israel as tensions grow
Lebanon is preparing for another war with Israel as tensions in the region reach boiling point, reports The National News, October 25.
Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have had clashes in the past resulting in a sizeable number of deaths however it did not escalate to a war between Israel and Lebanon like in 2006.
The one-month war in 2006 killed 1,300 Lebanese people and 160 Israelis whilst hundreds of thousands of Lebanese people were displaced.
At this moment, Lebanon’s population is fearing the worst as hostilities increased in the Middle East on October 7 when Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah, attacked Israel’s south from the blockaded Gaza, a territory under the control of the Palestinian militants.
Following the Hamas assault, Israel have been relentless, killing over 7,000 Palestinians in Gaza according to Al Jazeera.
As a result of Israel being armed to the teeth due to the generous backing from Washington, it is plausible that Hamas and Hezbollah will join forces.
Regarding the Lebanese militant group, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said, “I want to make clear, we are not looking for a confrontation on our northern border or with anyone else but if Hezbollah drags us into a war, it should be clear that Lebanon will pay the price,”
Despite claims by Israel, the mood in Lebanese capital Beirut is sombre as they prepare for the worst-case scenario as well as mourning the thousands of Palestinians, many of them children, killed in the Israeli retaliation.
Beirut’s vibrant streets are now silent and many events in the city have been cancelled in a show of solidarity with Gaza.
Germany’s Foreign Minister recently warned citizens not to travel to Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon amidst ongoing security concerns whilst the UK government issued a warning urging Brits not to travel to Lebanon and calling on citizens who were in the country to depart whilst commercial routes remain available.
Also, Lebanese carrier Middle East Airlines announced that they were moving multiple of their planes from Beirut.
The National News
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