Israel’s Third Lebanon War: The Resistance Responds After Exhausting Israel’s Bank of Targets

By Elijah J. Magnier

No one doubted the brutality of Israel’s actions or the barbarity of its aerial bombardment of Lebanon, especially after its campaign in Gaza. The offensive began with an intense aerial bombardment of military targets in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, with no regard for the civilian population living near the designated targets. These targets had been identified by Israel’s extensive human, electronic and satellite intelligence gathering since the Second Lebanon War in 2006. It was only natural for Israel to unleash its missiles on these sites for several long days, possibly extending over a week, on southern cities and the Bekaa. This prolonged barrage would allow the resistance to implement its strategy of creating a new military reality once the initial “madness” had subsided and the target bank had been exhausted. At that point, the resistance would enter an offensive phase, hitting precise, distant targets and eventually reaching all areas under Israeli control.

What is unfolding in Lebanon can only be described as a war, given the scale and intensity of the attacks, even in the absence of ground attacks or border incursions. War is typically characterised by sustained, organised violence between belligerents over large swathes of territory. The destruction, human casualties and disruption of daily life in both regions are consistent with the hallmarks of warfare. Consequently, the modern nature of this conflict, which includes heavy aerial bombardment, missile exchanges and psychological warfare, serves strategic objectives, inflicts significant damage and exerts pressure to create a new reality through long-range attacks, even if territorial control does not change.

Thus, the label ‘Third Lebanon War’ is apt, despite the asymmetry. Israel leverages its air superiority, while Hezbollah employs rocket attacks and guerrilla tactics, characteristic of many contemporary conflicts.