Yesterday (Wednesday), the IDF continued a series of massive strikes across Lebanon, this time targeting sites linked to Hezbollah’s military intelligence wing. This highlights the terrorist organization’s intelligence vulnerabilities and its relative weakness compared to Israel. In addition, many rocket launchers aimed at northern Israeli towns and cities were destroyed. Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones towards northern Israel (from Zikhron Yaakov northward, including a single missile towards the Tel Aviv area), but these caused no significant damage to life or property.
Reports have also surfaced about international discussions and pressures to promote a ceasefire on the northern front (and possibly the southern front as well). The Prime Minister addressed these reports by stating that “negotiations will only occur under fire,” implying that Israel does not intend to ease pressure on Hezbollah until sufficient objectives are achieved. The U.S. and France have proposed a joint plan for a comprehensive three-week ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The potential Israeli gain from such a move would be severing the connection that Nasrallah created between his war and the conflict in Gaza; however, the downside would be that Hezbollah could use the time to regroup, recover, and reorganize after the blows inflicted by Israel, with no guarantee that they will withdraw their forces or cease fighting in the future. International media claimed that this proposal would be accepted by both sides and take effect within hours, but no official confirmation came from the Israeli government.
There were also reports regarding recent understandings between Hamas and Fatah about control of border crossings and overall civil governance in Gaza “the day after” the war. These understandings suggest that Hamas is willing to relinquish part of its control over Gaza. Such agreements could help bring the war on the southern front to an end, although Israel would still need to formulate a strategy regarding Fatah’s governance and ways to demilitarize Hamas and achieve the war’s objectives. In any case, the full picture remains in the hands of decision-makers.
