Is War With Lebanon Just Around the Corner?

In an extravagant show of support for Hamas’ horrific attack against the Jewish state on October 7th, Lebanon has been firing missiles, drones, and rockets at Israel since October 8th. Israel has responded to these attacks by eliminating Hamas and Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. These exchanges have been so frequent that many have overlooked this massive threat on Israel’s northern border, but recently there has been a significant increase in the exchanges between the two nations, thus leading many to fear that this could escalate into a much larger conflict.

Has war already started on Israel’s northern border? 

There are concerns that the escalation between Hezbollah and Israel could lead to a full on war but the reality is that Israel has already been at war with Lebanon for months. As countless rockets and drones have been launched into Israeli territory, claiming the lives of troops and civilians and the evacuation of hundreds of families, Israel has responded as necessary. The longevity and degree of hostility means that a war with Lebanon is not a future concern: it is already a reality. The concern lies in the fact that if war officially breaks out, there is a heightened chance that it will reach deeper within both countries’ borders, incur more civilian bloodshed, and, most worrying, numerous other countries surrounding Israel could also decide to declare war on Israel in an attempt to annihilate the Jewish people, thus leading to a situation similar to the Six-Day War that took place in 1967.

The countries who attacked Israel during the Six-Day war were Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Today, many of these countries would come against Israel again if given the chance: 

• Lebanon: overtaken by Hezbollah, and currently firing missiles into Israel
• Syria: home to countless enemies of Israel
• Jordan: according to JNS, the Jordanian queen made this statement that emphasizes Jordan’s disdain for Israel
  • “Israel experienced one Oct. 7th. Since then Palestinians have experienced 156 Oct. 7ths. They have been going through this every day.”
• Additionally, following Jordan’s participation in deterring the attack against Israel from Iran, the Jordanian Prime Minister noted that:
  • “The army will respond to anything that will jeopardize the security and safety of the kingdom and the sanctity of its airspace and territory in the face of any danger from any party with all the available means,”
• Iraq: while not a notable player in the current attacks against Israel, they have been an enemy of the Jewish state for decades. Following the war against the newly established Israel in1948, Iraq refused to sign a ceasefire with Israel. Iraq also participated in the 1967 and 1973 wars against Israel. Since Iraq has never signed a ceasefire agreement or engaged in diplomatic relations with Israel, this technically places Iraq in a 76 year long conflict with the Holy Land.
• Saudi Arabia: they have refused to have diplomatic relations with Israel unless a Palestinian state with 1967 borders is recognized. 
• Egypt: although Egypt has a peace agreement with Israel, this country has clearly shown where their allegiance lies by allowing terror tunnels to connect Egypt to Hamas-run Gaza. 

Undoubtedly, these countries would not hesitate to re-engage in a large-scale war with Israel. While this is a significant concern, Israel has little-to-no option but to show strength and a strong response following the hundreds of evacuations that have taken place and soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice over the last eight months.

In addition to the possibility of facing a war with these countries, Israel must also be prepared to fight a war with Iran. Iran has already exhibited enormous violence against Israel through the funding of terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, but also by directly attacking Israel on April 14th, 2024. Iran has maintained this hostile trend by stating on the Iranian Mission to the UN’s X account that: 

“Albeit Iran deems as psychological warfare the Zionist regime’s propaganda about intending to attack Lebanon, should it embark on full-scale military aggression, an obliterating war will ensue. All options, incl. the full involvement of all Resistance Fronts, are on the table.”

Israel appears to be unwaveringly strong in the face of these considerable threats. In response to the Iranian threat, Israel’s Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said this on his X account:

“Iran threatens today to destroy Israel if Israel fully responds to Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon. My response to Iran is clear:

1. If Hezbollah does not cease its fire and withdraw from southern Lebanon, we will act against it with full force until security is restored and residents can return to their homes.
2. ⁠A regime that threatens destruction deserves to be destroyed.”

Not only did Katz confirm Israel’s commitment to regaining and ensuring complete security for the residents of northern Israel, but he also clearly communicated to the Iranian regime that Israel does not fear Iran and that, if Iran were to attack, Israel would not hesitate to destroy their volatile regime.

The uptick in the war with Lebanon looks as if it is less of an “if” and more of a “when”. According to U.S. intelligence, “a large-scale confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah is likely to break out in the next several weeks if Jerusalem and Hamas fail to reach a cease-fire deal in Gaza.”

Why Are Other Countries More Concerned About a Potential War Than Israel?

In light of the increasing hostility between more and more countries and Israel, the international community appears to be exhibiting far more concern than Israel. This may be due to the fact that if Lebanon (and potentially other hostile countries) were to declare an official war against Israel, other countries would be forced to publically choose a side to support. This would, in effect, inhibit countries like the U.S. from manipulating both parties in order to benefit itself best. This potential war would show the cards of every country and where each country’s true allegiances lie. 

A revelation of loyalty may be exactly what is needed today. Israel must stand whether they do or do not have any allies behind them. The intentions of the countries that Israel has ties to must be brought to light so that the residents of each country can clearly see whether or not their country is intentionally blessing or cursing Israel, and following this newfound understanding, each person must decide where they stand, what they believe, and what they are willing to do with their beliefs. Will individuals choose to bless Israel? Will you choose to bless Israel? Or will you choose to stand idly by as countless others choose to curse Israel?

In addition, another reason for the confidence Israel is able to have in the face of this extreme adversity is that Israel is the Land chosen for God’s people. They have full confidence and faith that the covenant spoken to them is true. No hostile people group will be able to completely destroy them or remove them from the Land God promised to them. The people of Israel live and will continue to live.