Israel On The Offensive

"Disproportionate response" was the anti-Israel, pro-Hezbollah buzzword during the early days of the war.

Now it's "ceasefire," even though everyone knows that a ceasefire will only allow Hezbollah to rearm and reinforce for the next round of attacks.

So Israel is going to get the job done before its enemies can do anything about it:

Israel approved a massive new ground offensive into southern Lebanon in a gambit aimed at bringing Hezbollah to its knees before the international community imposes a ceasefire. Fifteen soldiers were killed Wednesday, the deadliest day for Israeli troops in the war.

The plan to force Hezbollah guerrillas, and their short-range rockets, out of southern Lebanon and past the Litani River would escalate the fierce fighting there and, if successful, leave Israel in control of a security zone that it evacuated six years ago after a bloody 18-year occupation.

A new Israeli offensive would also put tremendous pressure on the United Nations to agree quickly on a ceasefire to end the fighting that has killed at least 829 people, caused widespread destruction across southern Lebanon and forced hundreds of thousands of Israelis into bomb shelters. Israeli officials implied they would halt the new offensive if a ceasefire agreement removes Hezbollah from the border.

Which, of course, will not happen.

An enemy that deliberately plants its rockets in civilian neighbourhoods and then sheds crocodile tears over the inevitable civilian deaths will not give up its only military and propaganda advantage without one hell of a fight.

Israel may have no choice but to level southern Lebanon.

The usual suspects will scream if it does.

But they won't be satisfied until Israel is wiped off the map, anyway.

Source: Globe and Mail