2023-10-24 18:05:52
Escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly between Israel and groups such as Hezbollah, have led to increasingly intense discussion about the use of nuclear weapons. This delicate situation has been highlighted in recent statements by senior Israeli officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz have issued statements suggesting a potential nuclear threat in response to Hezbollah’s actions.
In a meeting with IDF commands on Israel’s northern border, Netanyahu said that if Hezbollah were to decide to go to war, it would be a grave mistake, and Israel would respond with destructive force, referring to the possible use of nuclear weapons .
Defense Minister Gantz emphasized the full strength of the IDF at its disposal and warned that the IDF would destroy Lebanon if Hezbollah made a mistake.
These statements reflect the gravity of the situation and Israel’s willingness to defend itself at all costs, including resorting to nuclear means if its existence is called into question.
And Jewishpress:
“If Hezbollah decides to go to war, it will long for the Second Lebanon War,” Netanyahu said during a meeting with IDF commandos on Israel’s northern border.
“He will make the mistake of his life. We will hit him with a force that he cannot even imagine, which will be destructive for him and for the Lebanese state,” she said. “We are ready for any scenario. You are ready for any scenario,” he told the commandos.
And Netanyahu’s Defense Minister:
“The force of the entire IDF… is at our disposal,” Gallant stressed. “We are vigilant and if Hezbollah wants to start a war, it should first look at the photographs of Gaza City.”
During a tour of the tense Mount Dov region last August, where Hezbollah repeatedly attacked IDF positions, Gallant repeated his warning that the IDF would destroy Lebanon if Hezbollah “made a mistake” and chose conflict with Israel .
In a video statement, Gallant warned Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah: “You have made mistakes in the past; you paid very high prices. If…an escalation or conflict develops here, we will take Lebanon back to the Stone Age. We will not hesitate to use all our power and erode every inch of Hezbollah and Lebanon if necessary.
So far, both Iran and other Arab regional entities have threatened to intervene if Israel attacks the Gaza enclave with ground forces. However, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh deemed this unlikely.
Open source flight tracking and satellite imagery shows advanced weaponry, air defenses and dozens of fighter-bombers, intelligence-gathering platforms and heavy transports are being deployed in the region, to try to dissuade Iran and Hezbollah from opening a second front in northern Israel. (you see Time.com)
In his article, Hersh suggests that Israel could opt for a blockade approach similar to what happened in Leningrad during World War II.
This could lead to the isolation of Gaza City in terms of electricity, food and other essential goods. The Hamas movement, which rules Gaza, has limited supplies of resources, such as purified drinking water and food, which could lead to negotiations between Israel and Hamas, for example over the release of prisoners in exchange for food and water. However, the recent statements by the Israeli leadership which requested the handing over of Hamas members as the only alternative, under penalty of direct killing, does not seem to show willingness to compromise.
The situation is extremely delicate, and it is not beneficial if the dialogue between the parties is reduced to a series of mutual threats and retaliations of the type “if you do this, I will do this to you”.
And so we get clear threats to the use of TNWs (tactical nuclear weapons).
However, Hezbollah’s presence has so far hindered Israeli plans for a ground offensive in Gaza, as Israel has no effective response to missiles and rockets fired by Hezbollah. Therefore, the announcement of US military assistance prioritized “missile defense systems” to address this threat. At the moment, Israel may continue its bombing campaign on Gaza until it is forced to stop, as its inability to advance by land is evident.
The situation is so intricate that any strategic consideration should primarily aim to end hostilities and seek a ceasefire agreement, considering that other options could involve significant risks and uncertainties. The priority should be the stabilization and restoration of peace, taking into account the complex dynamics underway.
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