Crisis of an all-out war on both sides
Hezbollah: “All Red Lines Crossed”… 17 Attacks on Northern Military Facilities
Lee, Hezbollah 100 rocket launchers destroyed… “US virtually gives up ceasefire during Biden’s term”
Hezbollah’s Supreme Leader Speaks Live On the 19th (local time), a live speech by Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, is being broadcast on a TV screen in the Lebanese capital Beirut. He defined the casualties from the pager terror attack two days ago as a “massacre.” He also pointed to Israel as the perpetrator of the attack and declared harsh retaliation. Beirut=Xinhua Newsis “This is an unprecedented ‘massacre.’ All red lines have been crossed.”
Hassan Nasrallah, the supreme leader of the pro-Iranian militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, declared strong retaliation against Israel in a video speech on the 19th (local time). He emphasized that he could not overlook the explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon and Syria on the 17th and 18th, believed to be the work of Israel, which killed at least 37 people and injured over 3,000 as of that day. Speaking for about an hour against a red backdrop, he repeatedly emphasized retaliation, saying that this attack “can be considered a ‘war crime’ or a declaration of war.”
On the same day, the Israeli military also launched more than 52 airstrikes on Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Lebanon, using fighter jets and other aircraft. As a result, more than 100 rocket launchers were destroyed.
As concerns about an all-out war between the two sides grow, the possibility of a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which went to war in October last year, is also becoming increasingly slim. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that senior officials in the Joe Biden administration admitted that a ceasefire negotiation in the Middle East war is impossible before the Biden administration ends in January next year.
● This, the airstrikes on Lebanon after Nasrallah’s speech
Israeli fighter jets take off On the 19th (local time), the Israeli military released an image of a fighter jet taking off to attack southern Lebanon via ‘X’. At least 100 Hezbollah missile launchers were destroyed in this airstrike. Hezbollah also fired dozens of missiles and drones at Israel on the same day, raising concerns of an all-out war between the two sides. Photo source: Israeli military ‘X’ According to Reuters, CNN, and others, the Israeli military conducted more than 52 airstrikes in southern Lebanon over the course of about an hour starting at around 9:00 PM on the 19th. It is as if they were pouring out airstrikes almost every minute. In addition to around 100 rocket launchers, it has been reported that Hezbollah’s weapons depot and major buildings were also destroyed.
Three Lebanese sources described the airstrike as the largest since the start of the Middle East war. Some believe the damage was significant, as the unprecedented pager bombings virtually completely destroyed Hezbollah’s communications network.
The Guardian reported that Israel’s airstrikes came just hours after Nasrallah had announced retaliation against Israel in a speech. Israel appeared to be taking Hezbollah’s retaliatory declaration lightly and launched the airstrikes.
Hezbollah also attacked military facilities in northern Israel more than 17 times on the same day, using anti-tank missiles and drones. The exact number of casualties from the attacks on both sides is unknown, but it appears that many were injured.
Iran has also supported Hezbollah. According to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency, Hossein Salami, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), sent a letter to Nasrallah pledging “total destruction of this brutal and criminal regime.”
The exact circumstances surrounding this explosion are still unclear. It is only known that the explosion was carried out by a Hungarian company, BAC, which is believed to be an Israeli shell company, using a pager manufactured by Taiwanese telecommunications company Gold Apollo, and the sparks have spread to Bulgaria and Norway.
According to Reuters, Bulgarian authorities began investigating the possibility that the local consulting firm Norta Global was involved in the distribution of pager bombs on the 19th. It was revealed that the company’s founder, Linson Jose, lives in Norway and also works for a local media group. Citing a U.S. intelligence source, ABC News reported that the attack had been planned for at least 15 years.
● “Gaza ceasefire is impossible during Biden’s term”
As an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran, is on the verge of breaking out, the Biden administration, which originally aimed to “conclude a ceasefire negotiation within the term,” seems to have effectively given up on that. The fact that U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin abruptly canceled his planned visit to Israel also supports this analysis.
According to American political media outlet Axios and others, Secretary Austin was originally scheduled to visit Israel on the 22nd to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galland to discuss the Middle East situation. However, Secretary Austin notified Secretary Galland of the cancellation of his visit on the 18th.
Paris = Correspondent Jo Eun-ah achim@donga.com
Reporter Lee Cheong-ah clearlee@donga.com
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