Mounting Tensions Between Hezbollah and Israel Stoke Fears of Expanded War in Lebanon

The growing threat of an all-out war in Lebanon has increased dramatically as clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, Lebanon's armed group, intensify. There is a burgeoning concern that the current Israel-Hamas conflict could pull Lebanon into the vortex of war, a scenario Prime Minister Najib Mikati fervently seeks to prevent, fearing the onset of "regional chaos."

Recent exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel have escalated alarmingly, with both entities moving beyond the previously restricted Israel-Lebanon border region to launch deeper attacks into each other's territory. Most of these attacks primarily target military outposts and fighters, but civilian casualties have been reported.

Amid this escalating violence, Lebanese civilians living along the conflict-ridden borders are taking refuge in Hezbollah’s stronghold in the Beirut suburbs, thereby vacating most villages in the line of crossfire.

Online public discourse reflects a similar sentiment of apprehension. An online petition directed towards the Lebanese government urging them to steer clear of the building war has already garnered 8,939 signatures.

Hezbollah and Israel have so far managed to abide by two crucial tenets of international humanitarian law- evasion of large urban centers and minimization of civilian casualties. However, the recent upsurge in violence, paired with Lebanon's existing socio-economic turmoil, is a source of significant worry.

Adding another layer of complexity is the involvement of Palestinian fighters based in Lebanon, who have upped their offensive against Israel. This engagement, though, has triggered an undercurrent of discomfort among the Lebanese, given their traumatic past involving such Palestinian groups during Lebanon's 15-year civil war.

In an interview on Monday with AFP, PM Mikati confirmed his ongoing efforts to avert war in his country. He praised Hezbollah's management of the crisis as "rationally and wisely" handled, but remained apprehensive about a potential slide into combat that could ignite widespread regional disorder.