Israel’s Risky New Posture Against Hezbollah Stops Short of War
- Exploding pagers are followed by strike on Beirut suburb
- Shift follows conclusion that Gaza talks are going nowhere
Search and rescue operations continue at the site of an Israeli strike, in Beirut, on Sept. 21.
Source: AFP/Getty Images
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Israel’s shift to a riskier, more aggressive posture toward Lebanon’s Hezbollah — exploding pagers, striking Beirut and targeting commanders — came about both suddenly and gradually.
Suddenly, because there were indications that Hezbollah members had become suspicious about the booby-trapped pagers, so a decision to set them off was made at the last minute, according to people with knowledge of the matter. And gradually, because Israel’s military has been preparing since 2006 for war with the Iran-backed group.