Hezbollah not losing war as Israel escalates strikes on Lebanon, analyst says

Israel is intensifying its military operations in southern Lebanon despite a US-brokered ceasefire. Strikes have hit areas including Nabatieh in southern Lebanon and Mashghara in the western Bekaa Valley, alongside expanding evacuation orders across multiple towns. Ali Rizk, security affairs analyst and contributor to Responsible Statecraft, tells Al Jazeera that Hezbollah is not losing the war. He argues that Israel’s escalation reflects surprise at Hezbollah’s battlefield performance and growing domestic pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Rizk says displacement affecting large parts of Lebanon is being used as a pressure tool, but he does not believe it will turn Hezbollah’s core base against the group. Instead, he says continued Israeli bombardment is more likely to reinforce Hezbollah’s support among Lebanese Shiite communities, particularly in the south and Beirut’s southern suburbs (Dahiyeh). He adds that the most significant diplomatic track to watch is not Lebanon-Israel talks, but negotiations between Iran and the United States, which he says could ultimately shape the broader trajectory of the conflict. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://X.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.news/AJEMobile #Israel #Lebanon #BenjaminNetanyahu #LebanonWar #IsraelWarOnLebanon #IsraelLebanonTalks #Hezbollah #IsraelLebanonCeasefire #IsraelPolitics #IsraelAttacksLebanon #Nabatieh #IsraeliElections