A Middle East expert lists four reasons why Israel is now bombing Lebanon | Foreign countries

A Middle East expert lists four reasons why Israel is

According to Professor Hannu Juusola, the Prime Minister of Israel has no desire to stop fighting.

Yrjö Kokkonen,

Minna Pärssinen

23.9. 20:19•Updated 23.9. 20:21

The conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah extremist group operating in Lebanon expanded last Tuesday, when the Israeli intelligence service Mossad managed to blow up thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah. The next day radio phones exploded. The explosions killed several people and injured thousands.

Hezbollah sought to respond to the explosions by intensifying its rocket and mortar fire, which has lasted throughout the Gaza war, into northern Israel. 60,000 people have been evacuated from northern Israel, and the Israeli army and government have set their goal to enable their return home.

Today, Israel has accelerated its actions against Hezbollah even more. It has carried out airstrikes on hundreds of Hezbollah targets across Lebanon. The airstrikes were preceded by Israel’s thousands of Arabic-language warning calls to the Lebanese. The calls urged citizens to flee far from Hezbollah’s military targets. Tens of thousands of Lebanese have fled, especially from southern Lebanon.

Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Helsinki Hannu Juusola tells the four facts behind Israel’s new attack.

  • One is to prevent a counterattack by Hezbollah and enable the return of evacuated Israelis to their homes.
  • Other reasons have to do with Israel’s domestic politics: Netanyahu wants criticism of him over the Hamas terror attack last October to die down and his government to stay together.
  • If Benjamin Netanyahu loses his position as prime minister, the postponement of the corruption trial against him becomes impossible. Now the trial is scheduled to begin in December.
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