No ceasefire in Gaza, a looming war in Lebanon. ‘Enabling’ is no strategy for success.
By Khaled Elgindy, Responsible Statecraft
As hopes for a Gaza ceasefire continue to fade, the threat of a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah is now greater than at any time since October 7.
Following the release of a Hezbollah video shot by surveillance drones over various targets in northern Israel, Israeli officials warned of “an all-out war” in which Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon would be sent “back to the Stone Age.” Not to be outdone, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah is threatening a war with “no restraint and no rules and no ceilings.”
Such a war would be catastrophic for Lebanese and Israeli civilians alike, and risks drawing Iran into wider conflict that engulfs the entire region. It would also instantly unravel what had been one of the Biden administration’s few achievements since October 7 — preventing a full-blown regional war.
Even as the Israel-Lebanon front heats up, however, the most serious threats to de-escalation in Lebanon and to prospects for a Gaza ceasefire come from the Biden administration itself.
One need only look at realities in Gaza, where nearly nine months of war have cost the lives of more than 37,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of them women and children, and reduced most of Gaza to rubble. Despite putting forward a comprehensive ceasefire plan, which now has the backing of the United Nations Security Council, the Biden administration has done little to alter the basic cost-benefit calculations of either side — particularly Israel’s.
Recent Posts
Has The Supreme Court Paved The Way To Dictatorship?
Take Action Now Granting Presidents freedom from prosecution removes any lasting checks on their behavior in office. By Chris Edelson, The…
The Quick, Quiet Death Of Biden’s Natural Gas Export Pause
Take Action Now Climate activists saw the policy as a major win. It fizzled out within six months. By Jake Bittle, Grist When the Biden…
U.S. Supreme Court Grants Immunity To Former Presidents For Official Actions In Controversial Trump Ruling
Take Action Now Ultra-conservative Court once again pushes a wildly unpopular decision with major implications nationwide By Peoples Dispatch On…
How Many Ways Can Humans End Life On Earth?
Take Action Now Humans have come up with so many ways of wiping out our species in the last 100 years — which one will we pick? By Tom Engelhardt,…