Reconstruction of the Middle East

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Hours after rejecting a US-led proposal for a 21-day truce with Hezbollah in September, Benjamin Netanyahu boasted that he was changing the balance of power in the region for years to come. Israel’s prime minister has ordered the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, a sign that Israel will continue to focus its attacks on Lebanese militants from the Gaza Strip. As the year ended, the dynamics in the Middle East had undoubtedly changed for Israel.

The Israeli military’s relentless strikes against Hezbollah forced it to agree to a cease-fire agreement, which essentially gave Israel the right to continue its strikes against Lebanon. Iran appears most vulnerable in years. The “axis of resistance” of Iranian-backed militants, including Hezbollah and Hamas, looks more like a paper tiger. Israeli bombers destroyed most of the Islamic Republic’s air defenses in October – the biggest conventional attack on Iran in decades.

The Islamic State suffered another devastating setback this month when Syrian rebels ousted Bashar al-Assad, the dictator who led the country during the Syrian civil war. About 4,000 Iranians have left the country as Iran loses land links to supply Hezbollah, a vital government ally and vital force in the Middle East. Israel may not have had a direct hand in Assad’s dramatic death, but its bombing of Iranian targets in Syria and HezbollahHelping to elevate the regime, the rebels paved the way to Damascus.

After successful intelligence on Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people and killed 250 hostages, the extent of Israel’s military superiority over its enemies is becoming clear. Explain that Netanyahu is a political treasure, a people, a people, a people, a people. Later Hamas attack, many predict an end to his dominance of Israeli politics. But, as entrenched as ever, the far-right coalition has been strengthened by the addition of another party, with its poll numbers returning to pre-October 7 levels.

However, Israel’s battlefield gains have come at a heavy cost, which will continue for years to come. No one should mourn the end of Assad’s brutal regime or the weakening of the evil influence of Iran and its proxies. But Israel’s military successes will forever be marred by the unspeakable pain of its attacks on millions of people in Gaza and Lebanon.

Israel is facing accusations of genocide in Gaza, including detailed reports by Amnesty and Human Rights Watch and a lawsuit filed at the International Court of Justice by Arab nations including Saudi Arabia, who have long tried Netanyahu. Not only have the horrific death toll, more than 45,000, exacerbated such accusations, but Israel’s siege of 2.3mn-strong Gaza, according to Palestinian officials. restrictions on aid and water; And the destruction of civilian infrastructure has left much of it uninhabitable.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare . . . and other inhuman acts” Israel’s war and siege is a stain not only on Israel, but also on the US, which Netanyahu has allowed to take place with impunity.

If he destroys Hamas’s military capabilities and poses a regional threat to Israel, Netanyahu has no reason not to end the conflict and release the remaining hostages. But he and his far-right allies seem intent on seizing more territory on various fronts and keeping Israel in perpetual conflict. Ultimately, Israel’s security is assured when there is peace, and she has never been in a stronger position to achieve that – if Netanyahu could see it.