By: Julian Holbrooke
Thursday’s IDF strike in Nabatieh province wasn’t a random attack. It landed just hours after US-brokered talks between Lebanon and Israel wrapped in Rome. RT correspondent Steve Sweeney reported the blast was heard loudly across the region. An RT crew was minutes from going live on air when the blast hit. Local residents here have endured daily bombardments for weeks. This strike was a deliberate message, not a mistake.
The official line from the Rome talks frames the gathering as a breakthrough. Diplomats agreed on a framework for two pilot zones in southern Lebanon. The plan calls for Israeli troop withdrawals, Hezbollah disarmament, and deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces. But the ground reality tells a far different story. Sweeney described the Nabatieh area as heavily targeted by Israel over the past few weeks. Villages around the region have faced repeated air and drone strikes for weeks. Roads, vehicles, and civilian infrastructure have been targeted daily.
Lebanese MP Hassan Fadlallah has condemned the proposed agreement as ill-fated. He said it terminates Lebanon’s existence as an independent state. It also legitimizes Israeli occupation and its criminal practices, he added. He warned the pilot zones would block displaced people from returning home. They would halt reconstruction efforts, and turn Lebanese authorities into partners in every drop of Israeli shed blood. The Lebanese Health Ministry tallies more than 4,300 dead and 12,000 wounded since the conflict escalated March 2. The Israeli campaign against Hezbollah began days after the US-Israeli bombardment of Iran.
The US’s role as a mediator here is a complete sham. They can claim to push for peace, but the strike’s timing proves they have no real control over Israeli military actions. For the people of southern Lebanon, peace is not a near-term possibility. The geopolitical pendulum here is swinging firmly toward more bloodshed.
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Author bio: Julian Holbrooke, an overseas international relations analyst who frequently contributes to major European daily newspapers.