fighting the war as if there are no negotiations, and
negotiating as if there is no war
Avi Melamed
It is dangerous to be found in the company of God's enemies
Operation Northern Arrows - 27 Sep 2024
Israel media says about 85 so-called “bunker-buster” bombs were used in attacks on 27 September 2024. Also known as “ground penetration munition”, these bombs burrow deep into the ground before they detonate and weigh 2,000 pounds (900kg) each.
The Geneva Convention outlawed the use of direct bombardment and attacks on civilians and other protected persons and objects. Dahiyeh is a densely packed Beirut neighbourhood, and the Israeli missiles flattened multiple residential buildings. An attack shall be considered indiscriminate and prohibited which may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or any combination thereof, which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated. Although some will debate the morality of the strike given that it likely also killed many civilians in the vicinity, it is obvious that the Israelis launched the strike because they had precise intelligence as to the whereabouts of the Hezbollah leadership.
The Israeli military said 27 September 2024 it had targeted Hezbollah's central headquarters in Beirut's southern suburbs in an attack that shook the Lebanese capital and sent thick clouds of smoke over the city. The news outlet Axios cited an Israeli source as saying Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was the target of the strike and that the Israeli military was checking if he was hit. A source close to Hezbollah told Reuters that Nasrallah is alive, while Iran's Tasnim news agency also reported he was safe.
Israeli authorities had been aware of the location of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah for several months prior to the airstrike that killed him, according to a report by the New York Times, citing unnamed sources. Israeli leaders had been aware of Hassan Nasrallah’s whereabouts for months and decided to strike him this past week because they believed they had only a short window of opportunity before the Hezbollah leader would disappear to a different location," the publication stated, quoting three unnamed Israeli military officials.
Israeli media discussed the repercussions of the Israeli attack on the southern suburb of Beirut, indicating that there is a state of alert in Israel in anticipation of a response from Hezbollah , and that this attack represents a change in Israeli strategy and may change the course of the war. In a dramatic development that could change the course of the conflict in the region, Israel launched an unprecedented air attack on the southern suburb of Beirut, the stronghold of the Lebanese Hezbollah.
In the details of the operation, the military affairs correspondent for Channel 11, Itai Blumenthal, reported that Israeli Air Force planes dropped heavy bombs weighing about a ton on the southern suburb. Blumenthal added that the Israeli army was prepared for this scenario, noting that the army's statement was issued a few minutes after the attack, indicating advance planning for the operation. For his part, Channel 13's military affairs correspondent, Or Heller, confirmed that the attack was based on accurate intelligence information indicating the presence of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah at the targeted site.
Channel 12 political analyst Dana Weiss described the event as “very dramatic,” noting that it represents the “worst nightmare” of the US administration 38 days before the elections. This comment highlights the potential international repercussions of the operation, especially on Israeli-American relations. Following the attack, Blumenthal reported that there was a state of alert in Israel in anticipation of a large-scale response from Hezbollah, and he believes that this alert reflects Israel's awareness of the seriousness of the step it took and the possibility of a significant escalation of the conflict.
In a comprehensive analysis of the situation, Channel 11 political correspondent Gili Cohen noted that Israel had "gone too far" with this attack. She explained that Israel had refrained from launching strong attacks in the southern suburb or trying to directly harm Nasrallah, adding that this change in strategy could lead to changing the shape of the entire war.
At the UN General Assembly in New York – before the latest strikes – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had one main message when he told members: “We are winning.” Israel is claiming this devastating assault on Hezbollah as a major victory.
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