Israel action triggers fears of regional war

Close to 600 people have died in Israel’s bombardment across Lebanon in the past three days. This follows a series of attacks, allegedly by Tel Aviv, targeting pagers and communications devices in Lebanon that killed 39 people and injured more than 3,000. Israel’s new offensive against Hezbollah, an Iran-backed outfit based in Lebanon, has triggered fears that the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza could escalate, leading to instability across West Asia. Israel has contended its attacks are targeting Hezbollah, though the reality is that numerous civilians, including women and children, have been killed. Against this backdrop, the Iranian president’s statement that Lebanon is too small a country to withstand the Israeli attacks is ominous. Egypt, Iraq and Jordan have condemned Israel’s “aggression” and warned it is “pushing the region towards all-out war”.

The fears that Israel’s war could spread beyond the confines of Gaza and draw in other nations of the region now appear real. That Tehran has not retaliated against Tel Aviv’s strikes on Iranian territory and its proxies does not mean that Israel’s disregard for national boundaries in its targeting of what it describes as anti-Israel actors can always stay the same. An extended war will have grave political and economic ramifications beyond West Asia and the current conflict has already impacted economic recovery in the post-Covid scenario. With the anniversary of Hamas’ terror attacks and Israel’s war on Gaza approaching, the time has come for the world community to end the mayhem, which has assumed genocidal dimensions. Israel stands isolated after its offensive in Gaza has resulted in more than 41,000 deaths without achieving the goals of rescuing hostages or eliminating Hamas. The scale of Israel’s attacks has turned world opinion against it and given a fillip to the demand for a Palestinian State. Tel Aviv needs to rethink its war diplomacy in West Asia.

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