As most eyes stay trained on Iran, another front is presenting a crucial challenge to Middle East regional stability: Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon and the status of Hezbollah, Iran’s decades-long proxy partner.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces were destroying crossings over the Litani River in Lebanon’s south, claiming that they were being used by Hezbollah to send reinforcements. The Qasmiyeh Bridge, destroyed by the Israeli military on Sunday, is a main route linking the south to central Lebanon near the coastal city of Tyre.
This critical infrastructure, belonging to the Lebanese state, is used by its civilian population. Another minister in Israel’s government, the right-wing extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, this week called for Israel to annex southern Lebanon and extend Israel’s border.
Photo by KAWNAT HAJU/Getty Images
The Middle East Institute (MEI) is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit, educational organization. It does not engage in advocacy and its scholars’ opinions are their own. MEI welcomes financial donations, but retains sole editorial control over its work and its publications reflect only the authors’ views. For a listing of MEI donors, please click here.
A Strategic Conundrum: Pakistan’s Transit Corridor to Iran as Lifeline or Liability
