The Lebanese militia group Hizballah once again plunged Lebanon into a quickly widening cross-border conflict by launching missiles toward Israel in support of its patron, Iran, and declaring its readiness for “open war.” Israel retaliated with airstrikes and a series of high-level assassinations of the group’s leaders; and on Thursday it sent troops into southern Lebanon. With Hizballah fighters reportedly moving south to confront Israel, armed clashes on Lebanese soil are inevitable.
This briefing featured Ambassador David Hale, a Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI). A Career Ambassador, with postings in Beirut, Amman, and Islamabad, Hale most recently served as Undersecretary for Political Affairs at the US Department of State. The discussion also featured Paul Salem, Senior Fellow at MEI who joined us from the ground in Beirut.
Our experts discussed the latest conflict, Hizballah’s capabilities, sharpening domestic opposition to its actions from all corners, the Lebanese government’s plan for disarming the group, and Israel’s regional security goals.
