The Guardian warns: Netanyahu must be prevented from replicating the criminal 'Gaza model' in Lebanon

The British newspaper The Guardian issued a warning cry in its latest editorial, calling on the international community to take urgent action to prevent the head of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, from repeating the series of crimes he committed in the Gaza Strip within Lebanese territory. The newspaper pointed out that the international focus on the conflict with Iran has led to the neglect of the escalating humanitarian catastrophe in Lebanon, where air raids have claimed the lives of about 1,100 people and caused the displacement of a fifth of the population.

The newspaper explained that the military operations, which began under the slogan of 'precision strikes,' quickly turned into a widespread aggression, especially after the statements of Israeli War Minister Israel Katz, in which he revealed new occupation intentions. The occupation aims to impose a so-called 'buffer zone' extending to the Litani River, 30 kilometers deep into Lebanese territory, a measure the newspaper described as illegal and a blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty.

The editorial linked the extremist tendencies in the Israeli government to what is happening on the ground, where ministers like Bezalel Smotrich openly call for the annexation of Gaza, while the military establishment seeks to apply the same policy in the north. The newspaper stated that the International Court of Justice had settled the legal debate by confirming that the right to self-defense cannot be used as a pretext for occupying territories or committing crimes of forced displacement.

Political circles in Tel Aviv believe that the current situation represents an opportunity to eliminate Hezbollah given its state of attrition and the assassination of its senior leaders in September 2024. However, the newspaper noted that historical experiences have proven the failure of this approach, as Hamas endured despite the destruction of Gaza, and Hezbollah itself was born out of the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, which lasted until 2000, meaning that a new occupation would strengthen its popular base.

In the context of diplomatic moves, the Lebanese government took steps that the newspaper described as an attempt to curb external influence, including expelling the Iranian ambassador, but the Lebanese state's ability to enforce disarmament remains very limited. The editorial asserts that Netanyahu, who is facing corruption charges domestically, finds in the continuation of the conflict the only way to restore his faltering political influence and maintain his far-right coalition.

The newspaper quoted human rights and field sources as saying that the occupation army has already begun implementing a scorched-earth policy, with Katz threatening to destroy Lebanese border homes and villages just as Israeli forces did in Rafah and Beit Hanoun. The scenes coming from Lebanon are consistent with the tragedy of Gaza, in terms of forcing civilians to flee en masse and targeting vital infrastructure, including bridges and water and sewage networks.

Lebanese health sector officials accused the occupation authorities of deliberately targeting medical facilities and ambulances to disrupt the emergency response system. In this regard, Human Rights Watch documented the occupation army's use of internationally prohibited white phosphorus shells in populated areas, raising concerns about the systematic commission of war crimes away from effective international oversight.

Internationally, The Guardian criticized the American stance, noting that the Trump administration may not show genuine interest in mediating to end the war in Lebanon, but may instead merely request the protection of certain communities, which the newspaper considered a veiled recipe for ethnic cleansing. Amidst the decline of the French role, which is seeking a way out of the crisis, the occupation government appears to feel complete immunity from any real international prosecution or pressure.

The editorial stressed that international inaction in taking deterrent measures against Israel for its atrocities in Gaza is what gave Netanyahu the green light to expand the killing. Since the last ceasefire announcement, the occupation army has continued to kill hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza, at a time when the humanitarian crisis and famine continue to plague the besieged Strip's residents without any fundamental change in international policies towards the occupation.

The newspaper concluded by calling on Israel's Western allies, especially the United Kingdom, to exert real and effective pressure, including halting arms supplies and imposing diplomatic sanctions. It warned that continuing the policy of 'silent complicity' would lead to a bleak future for Lebanon and would make the international community a partner in crimes committed in cold blood under the guise of defending security.

The current scene in southern Lebanon, according to the newspaper, brings back the worst chapters of the Arab-Israeli conflict, where the language of dialogue is replaced by the language of total destruction and displacement. The ball is now in the court of the major powers to prove the extent of their commitment to international law, or to continue granting the occupation an exception that allows it to violate all humanitarian conventions without fear of punishment.

The widespread inaction in taking effective measures against Israel for its atrocities in Gaza has encouraged the Netanyahu government and its supporters to proceed in Lebanon.