The Occupation Retaliates Against Dahiya, Paving the Way for Hochstein’s Visit to Negotiate a Ceasefire with Conditions / Berri Receives the U.S. Envoy Today: The Last Opportunity… and We Insist on Resolution 1701

 October 21, 2024

The political editor wrote

As the occupying entity’s war on all of Lebanon – its geography, people, sovereignty, and institutions – enters its fourth week, the brutality and savagery have reached new heights, sparing neither human lives nor infrastructure. The southern suburbs of Beirut have borne the brunt of this vengeance, with attacks extending to the vicinity of Beirut’s airport, destroying dozens of residential buildings. This escalation comes in retaliation for the occupying army’s failure to make any significant progress in its ground offensive, despite the deployment of five divisions, essentially all available combat forces. Compounding this failure, the occupation was forced to pull back one and a half divisions to Gaza due to rising resistance activities there. Unable to cover its military failure, the occupation resorts to widespread killing and destruction, much like its actions in Gaza. Meanwhile, the resistance remains focused on targeting military installations with its ever-growing missile barrage – reaching nearly 300 strikes yesterday alone – and expanding its range, with missiles now reaching the outskirts of Tel Aviv.

Precision drone strikes guided by accurate intelligence have also yielded significant results. Most notably, the recent strike on the rear headquarters of the Golani Brigade resulted in nearly 100 casualties, both dead and wounded. Following this, two days ago, a drone successfully targeted the home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea, north of Tel Aviv. The erratic, indiscriminate bombardment of Dahiya appears to be a direct response to the resistance’s success in reaching Netanyahu’s residence, shattering the myth of the entity’s air defence systems that were supposedly protecting its citizens. The failure to defend the Prime Minister’s home starkly highlights the inefficacy of these defences.

This retaliation against Dahiya is not isolated from the broader political landscape. Today marks a significant moment, as U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein arrives in Beirut, having prepared for his visit by discussing the need to amend Resolution 1701. According to sources, this may lead to a proposal for an exchange of mutual guarantees between Beirut, Washington, Tel Aviv, and Washington – given that passing any amendments unfavourable to Lebanon through the U.N. Security Council is nearly impossible due to Russian and Chinese opposition, both of which align with Lebanon’s position. The intense bombardment of Dahiya appears to be a means of bolstering Hochstein’s mission to present a ceasefire deal contingent upon the implied or explicit amendments to Resolution 1701, whether through backchannel guarantees or a formal Security Council resolution.

Lebanese Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, commenting on Hochstein’s mission, described it as the last attempt at a resolution, reaffirming that there is a Lebanese consensus on Resolution 1701 and that a ceasefire remains the top priority.