Netanyahu's heedless escalation: A road towards more suffering and conflict

The future of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is yet unknown after Israeli airstrikes tore Beirut's southern neighborhoods this past weekend. Clearly, though, Israeli Crime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's forceful military assault is driving the Middle East into even more instability. U

Netanyahu's intensification of strikes on Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, including Friday's forceful attack on the group's headquarters, seems targeted at not just undermining the Iran-backed militia but, if reports are right, at killing its leadership. The bold strikes are Netanyahu's most recent gamble in a larger regional battle blowing out of hand. Still, the question of what Netanyahu actually wants to accomplish and at what cost is unresolved.

For years, Netanyahu has justified his military operations as safeguarding of Israel's security. But given his internal difficulties, including continuous demonstrations against his divisive judicial makeover, this most recent bout of violence seems more like a premeditated attempt to improve his political posture at home. Netanyahu seems dedicated to be a warlord, flexing Israel's military strength with little thought for the long run, instead of seeking diplomatic answers.

A path of devastation.

Since the 2006 conflict with Hezbollah, the most severe airstrikes in Beirut were just carried out; thousands of Lebanese people are now paying the cost for Netanyahu's brinkmanship. With hundreds killed and many more injured, entire communities in the Hezbollah-occupied Dahiyeh sector of southern Beirut have been reduced to ruins. Families escaping the strikes are visible crowded on sidewalks and in parks, frightened and terrified about what lies next.

Although Hezbollah's own comments refute the presence of weaponry in civilian areas, Netanyahu's administration claims it is focusing on the military infrastructure of Hezbollah. International reporters and humanitarian organizations working on the ground have seen the great misery the Lebanese people endure in meanwhile. Innocent individuals are caught in the crossfire paying with their life for Netanyahu's relentless assault on Hezbollah.

Still, Netanyahu shows no signs of stopping down even with the rising civilian death. To further deepen the crisis, he has extended Israeli bombing into fresh territory of Lebanon including the Bekaa Valley and Bhamdoun. Drawing in Hezbollah's main supporter, Iran, and even heightening tensions with the United States, this heedless attitude creates the spectre of a more regional confrontation. Netanyahu is playing with regional stability; the people of Israel and Lebanon stand to lose most here.

Nasrallah's Destiny and the Danger of Netanyahu's Ambition

Nowadays, news concerning Nasrallah's destiny is watched and awaited for by many people all over. Although Hezbollah sources report the leader is alive, the organization has not yet released a public statement. Should Nasrallah die in the bombings, Hezbollah will probably launch an even more aggressive counter-attack using missiles currently pouring down on Israeli cities in reaction to the attacks. Still following his risky, high-stakes game with Hezbollah's leadership, Netanyahu has been curiously quiet regarding whether Nasrallah was truly the target of the strike.

The real issue is, though, does Netanyahu care? His actions imply that he is more concerned in destroying Hezbollah at any costs, even if it means dragging Israel and Lebanon into an extended and horrific confrontation. He keeps discounting foreign initiatives for a ceasefire, including a suggested 21-day truce from France and the United States. For Netanyahu, negotiation is a dead end, and he has publicly opposed any idea of de-escalation, therefore aggravating the bloodshed in search of military "victory."

Netanyahu's Strategic Short-sightedness

Particularly his address at the United Nations, Netanyahu's language has been quite hostile. He maintains Israel has "no choice," but it should keep running its military assault as long as Hezbollah poses a danger. Actually, Netanyahu has other choices though. Israeli authorities have engaged in conversations and communication with enemies for years, even with far more aggressive rivals. Right now, Netanyahu is creating a dangerous precedent whereby aggression and sheer force substitute diplomacy and long-term peace is more and more unreachable.

Fundamentally, his militaristic approach is dumb. Eliminating Hezbollah will not help Netanyahu's goal of bringing Israeli evacuees back to their homes. Like Hamas, Hezbollah is not a creature that can be wiped off with just bombing. Only the illusion of a military solution results from the full neglect of the fundamental sociopolitical foundations of the conflict. Netanyahu's exclusive concentration on military action instead of diplomacy guarantees only that the spiral of bloodshed will keep on.

A Request for Responsibility

Though his administration seems oblivious to it, Netanyahu's strategy has also attracted worldwide censure. Concerned nations including France and the United States have demanded de-escalation and cease-fires over the growing war. Still, Netanyahu is stubborn and reluctant to change his path, even if the likelihood of a more general regional conflict looms big.

The world community has more to do than just provide declarations of concern nevertheless. Apart from upsetting Israel and Lebanon, Netanyahu's actions might cause the whole area to be pulled into more intense war. World powers should make Netanyahu answerable for his careless and risky policies. Ignoring this will simply empower him further, maybe causing much more damage and mortality.

With his war-first strategy, Netanyahu is running a risky bet already costing too many lives. The world cannot afford to watch this battle gets more intense. Real leadership is overdue; something Netanyahu has always failed to offer.