Hint at truce in Lebanon? Israel says military goals against Hezbollah achieved

The Israeli military has declared on Tuesday, October 29 that its objective against Iran backed Hezbollah in Lebanon has been, for the large part, achieved.  

According to a report in the Jerusalem Post, Israeli troops have said that this paves the way for Benjamin Netanyahu-led government to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict in northern Israel.

The report further said that the Northern Command of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has stated that most of Hezbollah’s infrastructure near the Lebanon-Israel border has been destroyed.  

Their weaponry has mostly either been confiscated by Israeli forces or neutralised in the field. However, the IDF noted that some operations in Lebanese villages remain incomplete.

Since October 8 of last year, when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, the two sides have been at war, resulting in significant casualties.  

Israel escalated its military operations in Lebanon on September 23, killing nearly 500 people and injuring 1,600 in a single day, marking the deadliest day of violence in over a year. In a rapid series of strikes, Israel reportedly eliminated much of Hezbollah’s senior leadership, including chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Potential consequences of lack of diplomatic resolution

On Tuesday, Israel intensified its military operations in Lebanon, conducting overnight airstrikes on a dozen towns that resulted in more than 90 casualties, marking the deadliest day in the region in over a year of hostilities.  

If Israel’s military does not secure a diplomatic resolution in southern Lebanon, there could be a continuation of military operations through ground assaults and airstrikes, or a sustained military control over territories occupied by the IDF in Lebanon.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed proxies has heightened fears of a broader conflict in West Asia as well. This situation has also led to rare direct confrontations between Israel and Iran, with Israeli warplanes targeting Iranian missile production sites over the weekend in retaliation for an Iranian missile attack on October 1. In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated that Tehran would “use all available tools” to retaliate.

If a diplomatic resolution is not achieved, Israel faces two possible scenarios: the ongoing military pressure through ground operations and airstrikes, and the sustained military control of territories occupied by the IDF in Lebanon.