Lebanon’s Hezbollah reveals more of its arms in risky escalation with Israel
- Iran-backed group is gradually revealing more of its capabilities, even as it says it is not seeking full-scale war
Hezbollah is drawing on more of its arsenal in its conflict with Israel even as it declares no interest in a full-scale war, an escalation analysts believe aims to deter Israel from a wider confrontation but which could also risk igniting one.
Sparked by the Gaza war, the conflict across the Lebanese-Israeli border has shifted up several gears in the last month, adding to concern the heavily armed adversaries could escalate towards a war that would be ruinous for both countries.
The spectre of such a war is looming over the region as US-led mediation struggles to secure a Gaza ceasefire, with increasingly bellicose rhetoric from both Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has ratcheted up its attacks in several ways of late, sending larger numbers of explosive drones in one go, using a new type of rocket, and declaring that it has targeted Israeli warplanes for the first time – a milestone for the group, according to a source familiar with Hezbollah’s arsenal.
