Hezbollah, battered and isolated, is dragging Lebanon into yet another war. With Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, labeling the group's Secretary General, Naim Qassem, as a 'marked target for elimination', the group's future looks increasingly uncertain. This situation has sparked a debate about whether Hezbollah is engaging in a suicidal mission. The escalation in Lebanon has opened a second front for Israel in the war on Iran, as it continues its frequent air strikes alongside the US. Both countries lack a clear objective or timeline, but in Lebanon, Israel's goal appears to be neutralizing Hezbollah's military threat and potentially forcing Lebanon into a new agreement. The Israeli military's chief of staff has vowed a 'devastating blow' for Hezbollah. The expansion of Israel's ground invasion in southern Lebanon has raised concerns of a broader campaign, similar to the one in 2024. Despite the ceasefire deal brokered by the US and France, the Israeli military has maintained a presence in five locations inside Lebanon, enforcing a de facto buffer zone along the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese soldiers have been deployed there, and now some are being forced to retreat. Michael Young, a senior editor at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, wrote in the Diwan blog, 'Hezbollah is trapped – precisely where the Israelis want it to be. Nothing can now stop Israel's intention to hit Hezbollah and its community hard, completing what was started in 2024.' Last November, I visited southern Lebanese communities still in ruins, with international donors refusing to fund reconstruction due to the disarmament impasse. Some people were already challenging long-held views, and Hezbollah's move has been denounced as reckless by critics. However, it's possible that even some followers will question the group's objectives.
