Israel’s Attack on Lebanon: De-Escalation Through Escalation Does Not Work

Smoke rising over the Lebanese border village of Chihine following an Israeli airstrike. Photo by Kawnat Haju/AFP/Getty Images.

***

On September 17, 2024, thousands of pagers across Lebanon and Syria exploded, killing 42 people, including 12 civilians. The following day, a second attack in which hundreds of walkie-talkies exploded was carried out, killing at least 20 people and wounding 450 others. Israel has confirmed its involvement in these attacks, claiming to target members of the Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah. The devastating results of these attacks bring upon what Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant describes as “a new era of war,” as Israel’s focus draws away from Gaza and toward the northern border with Lebanon, where near-daily rocket strikes from Lebanon have occurred since the events on October 7, 2023.  

In the days since the explosions, Gallant has confirmed that the Israeli Defense Force has already begun moving its 98th Division out of Gaza and into northern Israel. On September 23, Israel voted to add another war objective to its already intense conflict with Hamas: to return those living north of the border who had been displaced back to their homes. 

Monday’s vote is the first time since the attacks on October 7 that Israel has added and also specified a new war goal. 

Yet, as we reach the first anniversary of the attacks on Israel, there is no telling whether a global war can be prevented anymore, nor whether the hostages—whose release has been a global priority since the beginning of the war—will be returned safely. For the past year, Israel has enacted a “de-escalation through escalation” policy, trying to prevent a declaration of war by increasing airstrikes and bombings against its perceived enemies. This plan of action has brought an increasingly disproportionate rate of casualty in the region. The Palestinian Health Ministry has revealed that since October 8, 2023, when Israel declared war, the death toll in Gaza and the West Bank has reached over 41,000, while Israel claims that 346 of its soldiers have been killed in combat. 

In adhering to this policy, Israel has received widespread global criticism, including from International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan and the United Nations. Protests have erupted around the world, with the United States witnessing record numbers of demonstrators calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, especially after last week’s planned attack on Lebanon. 

But after last week’s attack and the near-daily bombing exchange between Israel and Lebanon, Israel’s “de-escalation” has brought its citizens closer and closer to a deadly war. For some, especially those living along the border with Lebanon or the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, they claim the war has already started. Critics argue that the escalation caused by Israel’s “de-escalation” is putting the lives of Israeli citizens at risk.

The events on October 7, nevertheless horrific, have transpired unprecedented acts of injustice at the hands of the Israeli government. The United States, along with the rest of Israel’s allies, have given Netanyahu and his cabinet the green light to act in violation of UN laws, Geneva Convention rulings, and international laws in the name of “self-defense.” The attacks in Lebanon are another addition to this growing list of contentious actions. 

There is no question as to whether or not Israel has a right to defend itself, as any country with respected autonomy deserves. However, this raises a more nuanced question: how does Israel reserve the right to defend itself? Do the killings that violate international standards help them achieve this goal, or is it all just for a show of strength? In recent meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Vice President Kamala Harris stated, “Israel has the right to defend itself, and how it does so matters.” 

However, this does not change the fact that as of September 26, 2024, the United States has provided Israel with an aid package totaling up to $8.7 billion, a donation highly criticized amidst the recent destruction caused by Hurricane Helene and delayed reaction from FEMA due to decreased funds. 

Harris’ statements leave voters wondering whether anything will change with the situation occurring in the Middle East. The United Nations General Assembly, including the Netherlands, France, Colombia’s Gustavo Pedro, and Brazil’s Lula de Silva—just to name a few—have openly condemned Israel’s actions of collective punishment and restrictions on humanitarian aid for Palestinians. 

The international community, even some from the United States, is prepared to call out the use of questionable methods by Israel in this conflict. Mary Ellen O’Connell, a professor of law and international peace studies at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, recently stated booby traps are banned under international law. In a bold statement from Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned Israel’s strikes in Lebanon as “violating the basic norms of international relations.” This is a strong message to come out of China, especially regarding their record for civil and human rights violations and their historic neutrality on these issues. 

This brings us back to Israel’s “de-escalation through escalation.” There is a communal desire to stop the conflict from growing and turning into an all-out war, but given the past effects of this policy, it seems safe to say that war has already begun. While there is no need to press the panic button, there is certainly no need to keep living in denial; a war has started, and the international community hesitating to reprimand those responsible—both Israel and Hamas—have allowed these crimes of war to continue, and will be responsible for the countless deaths occurring in the region.

***

This article was edited by Olivia Mascia and Bowen Yao.

Leave a Reply