Difficult to Fight or Withdraw: Israel's Military Operation in Lebanon

Israel, which is conducting military operations in Lebanon, has been caught in a difficult position between pressure from the United States to withdraw and domestic public opinion demanding the eradication of Hezbollah, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Tuesday, June 23, local time.

Article 1 of the temporary ceasefire memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the United States and Iran last week states that both countries and their allies will immediately and permanently end military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and promises to guarantee Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Based on this, Iran is demanding the termination of Israel's military operations in Lebanon and its withdrawal, stating that it cannot engage in follow-up negotiations with the U.S. if this clause is not observed.

However, as Israel refuses to withdraw and maintains its stance of keeping a "security zone" inside Lebanon, observations suggest that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran may not proceed smoothly.

When asked on Tuesday, June 23, about Israel's refusal to withdraw, U.S. President Donald Trump said, "I solve problems very quickly, including the problem with Bibi," referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nickname.

The WSJ reported that a proposal was recently made to test a plan in limited areas where Israel would withdraw its troops from some parts of southern Lebanon and deploy Lebanese government forces to fill the vacuum.

Citing an anonymous senior U.S. government official, the WSJ reported that the U.S. supports this plan.

President Trump wants to end the unpopular Middle East war ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November, but Prime Minister Netanyahu is under pressure from domestic public opinion to continue attacks on Hezbollah ahead of Israel's general election scheduled for this autumn.

Israel's strategy of maintaining a "security zone" is facing significant difficulties in Lebanon, particularly struggling to defend against Hezbollah attacks utilizing fiber-optic drones.

Originally, the Israeli military established an occupied zone in Lebanon to keep Hezbollah's anti-tank missiles out of range of northern Israeli towns.

However, bomb-carrying drones can fly much farther than anti-tank missiles, and indeed, many Israeli soldiers have recently lost their lives in drone attacks.

The Israeli military announced on Tuesday, June 23, that it had launched two attacks against Hezbollah militants threatening its positions in the Ali al-Taher Ridge area of southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military has claimed that a large-scale underground fortress of Hezbollah lies beneath this ridge.

The Israeli military also launched an offensive last week to seize control of this area.

When at least four Israeli soldiers were killed in the process, Israel launched retaliatory attacks across various parts of Lebanon, including the capital, Beirut.

As this brought the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to the brink of collapse, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, among others, publicly criticized Israel's operations in Lebanon as excessive.

Following this, the Israeli government ordered the military to halt its attacks, the WSJ reported, citing anonymous military officials and sources.

Despite the "order to halt attacks," actual strikes have continued.

The Israeli military claimed that the attack on the Ali al-Taher Ridge on Tuesday, June 23, was in response to an "immediate threat."

However, Hezbollah countered that the attack was a violation of the ceasefire conditions.

Lebanese health authorities stated that two people were killed in the Israeli attack that day.

In a public opinion poll conducted in May by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) of Israel, 57% of Israelis expressed support for establishing a permanent "security zone" inside Lebanon.

Israel previously occupied a wide "security zone" in southern Lebanon from 1985 until its withdrawal in 2000.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.