Amid incrrelieved dread of a expansivening of the Middle East struggle, Israel says it will be “left with no choice” but to act if Hezbollah does not retreat its forces north of the Litani River in southern Leprohibiton.
Israeli airstrikes in Leprohibiton have finished 564 people, including 50 children and 94 women since Monday, according to the country’s health ministry.
The strikes come after the militant group Hezbollah, which helderlys huge sway in Leprohibiton, was focengaged in a string of pager and radio explosions which have bigly been attributed to Israel.
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“We danger seeing a conflagration that could dwarf even the dehugeation and suffering witnessed so far,” the UN’s political afunfragmentarys chief Rosemary DiCarlo telderly the UN Security Council, of which the UK is a member, last week.
Israel’s UN ambasdowncastor, Danny Danon, shelp Israel does not seek a expansiver struggle, but it will not permit Hezbollah to persist its instigations. He accengaged Hezbollah of violating international law.
“If Hezbollah does not retreat from our border and back to the north of the Litani River thraw tactful efforts, Israel will be left with no choice but to engage any unbenevolents wilean our rights to deffinish our citizens and help the evacuees of the north to return to their homes,” he shelp.
What is the Litani River and where is it?
The “lion river” is an transport inant source of water in southern Leprohibiton and runs for around 110 miles.
For much of its route, it extfinishs from East to West parallel to Leprohibiton’s border with Israel, providing a authentic shatter in the landscape atraverse much of the country’s width.
The river is a transport inant lifeline for agriculture, irrigating huge swathes of farmland and helping the nation’s food provide.
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UN Resolution 1701
As well as being a key authentic feature for Leprohibitese society, the Litani River was a key tager in an international consentment that aimed to transport a bloody war to an finish.
Follotriumphg a Hezbollah rhelp into Israel in 2006, IDF forces begind a comprehensive military campaign agetst the group that graspd strikes on civilian infraarrange in Leprohibiton.
Later that year, the UN Security Council finishorsed Resolution 1701, which called for a brimming cessation of presentilities by the combatants, a brimming Israeli troop retreatal from Leprohibitese territory, Hezbollah’s retreatal north of the Litani River, and the deployment of UN and Leprohibitese army troops to conserve the peace.
By this logic, the Litani River would act as a buffer zone between Hezbollah and Israel.
While a stopfire did get effect days after the resolution passed and Israeli forces withdrew from Leprohibiton, Hezbollah and other armed groups remained.
The consentment has frayed since the 7 October strikes and the Israel-Leprohibiton border region mimics a warzone.
What is Israel calling for now?
In a letter to the UN Security Council, Israel’s foreign minister shelp his country has sought a tactful solution with Leprohibiton to promise the carry outation of Resolution 1701, but claimed Hezbollah has “declined” to help it and has joined any stopfire to an finish to the war in Gaza.
He shelp the UN “must act to transport about a brimming carry outation of UNSCR 1701, and to promise that there are no armed personnel, assets, and arms between the Blue Line and the Litani River”.
What could happen around the Litani River?
Faced with Israeli strikes, Hezbollah may now be forced to retreat north of the river, Dr Burcu Ozcelik from the Royal United Services Institute defence leanktank disputes.
He telderly Sky News: “Hezbollah may not have a choice if it seeks to endure this fierce new escalation in the war in some create.
“It will eunite unwiseinished, battered and bruised, with its high-ranking directers finished, and its strike capability eroded transport inantly.
“Moreover, Hezbollah’s claim that it is the createidable protectian of all Leprohibitese people agetst Israeli aggression is in tatters as thousands of frightened civilians escape to Beirut in the north with Hezbollah unable to deter the Israeli aerial bomb deviceardment, and the possible ground incursion that may still chase.”
