Field and political developments in Lebanon amid ongoing Gaza war

Lebanon is moving cautiously down the path of the Gaza war, which entered its sixteenth day on Sunday.

This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan.

As clashes escalated on the southern border, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first threatened Hezbollah and Lebanon.

In contrast, Hezbollah's stance remained steadfast in continuing these confrontations. At the same time, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, expressed his "reassurance" that the southern clashes would not escalate into a full-blown war.

Amid all the field and political developments, how does the general scene in Lebanon appear?

A political source answered Nidaa al-Watan and said that the side effects of the ongoing war for the past two weeks in Lebanon can be defined by the following points:

1. Political paralysis in Lebanon and a complete halt in the presidential file means that Lebanon is in a state of war, while politicians are in a state of waiting.

2. A near-total halt in travel and the suspension of several airlines from coming to Rafic Hariri International Airport of Beirut, as well as a reduction in Middle East flight routes and insurance withdrawal, affecting air transportation, not to mention the insurance of ships carrying goods to Lebanon that might be affected by this measure.

3. Almost complete economic and decision-making paralysis in institutions and companies. Institutions working with other countries plan to move their employees abroad or to safe areas in Lebanon to ensure their work continues.

4. Several countries have evacuated their citizens from Lebanon due to the situation while they await the new developments.

What about the field developments on Sunday?

On the Lebanese side, Hezbollah announced the killing of five of its members without specifying the time, bringing the escalation toll in Lebanon to 34 people, most of whom are fighters from Hezbollah, in addition to six fighters from Palestinian factions and four civilians.

As for the Israeli side, at least as reported by Israel, the casualties in the clashes were three people. It was reported that Israeli forces shelled several border areas in conjunction with heavy air raids.

Furthermore, the Israeli army announced that its forces "spotted a cell trying to launch anti-tank missiles towards the Avivim area on the border with Lebanon," noting that its forces launched "a strike on the cell before it could carry out the attack."

Also, fighters from the Lebanese side fired an anti-tank missile at an Israeli tank in the Shebaa Farms area, according to the Israeli army, which reported no injuries or damage.

In this context, Mikati stated, "The diplomatic contacts we are conducting internationally, regionally, and local meetings continue to stop Israeli aggressions on Lebanon, specifically in the South, and to prevent the Gaza war from spreading to Lebanon."

He further mentioned that the government is working on an "emergency plan as a precaution." He added, "We are reassured that Lebanon's friends are continuing to make every effort to return the situation to normal and prevent it from deteriorating more."

In contrast to the government's stance, the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, stressed: "Instead of some talkative individuals trying to find the role of the resistance in Lebanon in supporting Gaza and its cause and people, they should demand that the Arab system revokes the legitimacy of normalization between it and the Zionist enemy."

Moreover, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, MP Gebran Bassil, decided to start a consultative tour with political leaders in the country under the title "Protecting Lebanon and National Unity," beginning Monday.

In Israel, Netanyahu warned that Hezbollah would "commit the biggest mistake of its life" if it decided to join a war against the Israeli state.

Additionally, he said during his inspection of Israeli forces near the border with Lebanon, "They will regret the Second Lebanon War (2006)."

He concluded his aggressive threats by saying, "We will strike it with an unimaginable force, and its impact on the Lebanese state will be devastating."