The latest crisis, which began with the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier by Gaza Palestinians, is becoming significantly more serious with the kidnapping of two more soldiers by Hezbollah:
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) – The Hezbollah militant group captured two Israeli soldiers during clashes along the Lebanese border on Wednesday, triggering an Israeli assault with warplanes, tanks and gunboats as Israeli troops crossed the frontier to hunt for the captives.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the guerrilla attack “an act of war” and warned that Hezbollah would pay a “heavy price” for its actions.
Israeli warplanes struck two bridges over the Litani River deep in southern Lebanon, killing two civilians on the main north-south highway between the port cities of Tyre and Sidon, Lebanese security officials said. The pan-Arab satellite TV al-Arabiya station said that at least seven Israeli soldiers were killed in the fighting, and that several more were wounded.
The Israeli army confirmed casualties among the soldiers, but did not comment on the reports of possible deaths.
Israeli troops crossed into a southwestern sector of Lebanon, near where the soldiers were seized, trying to keep their captors from moving them deeper into Lebanon, Israeli security officials said. Hezbollah said it destroyed an Israeli tank as it tried to cross the frontier.
The clashes came after Israel sharply escalated its military campaign in Gaza in an effort to press Palestinian militants to release another Israeli soldier who was captured during a raid across the Israel-Gaza border last month. Israel dropped a quarter-ton bomb on a Gaza home Wednesday in a failed attempt to assassinate top Hamas fugitives, killing seven children and two adults.
I agree with Big Pharaoh on this:
The region is most probably plunging into a serious war.
In an update he notes that the two soldiers kidnapped were Druze, not Jews.
How could things get worse? Well, Syria could involve itself for one thing.
How could things get better? Somebody has to back down and it’s hard for me to see how that’s politically possible for either side.
Previous recent posts on this subject:
Meanwhile, the Israelis are inching towards…
Crisis in Gaza continues
Tension Mounts in Gaza
UPDATE
James Joyner asks the right question: what next?
As in Gaza, Israel is giving the terrorists exactly what they want: War.
From an Israeli perspective, these actions are certainly understandable. At some point, Arab governments have to assume responsibility for terrorist groups operating within their borders. This is even more true in both Lebanan and Palestine, where the distinction between the governments and the terrorists is ephemeral.
One wonders, however, what the Israeli exit strategy is here. Total annihilation of Hezbollah and Hamas is impossible without genocide, given how organic they seem to be. Does Israel plan to annex and permanently occupy these terroritories? They’ve tried that without solving the terrorist problem. They also can’t go the route that the U.S. has gone in Iraq: The current governments are, in both cases, the result of the democratic process.
ANOTHER UPDATE: The rumors are flying. For example, Carl in Jerusalem of Israel Matzav is passing along a rumor from a friend of his with good contacts with the IDF that Israel will be declaring war this evening, presumably against Lebanon.
RUMORS FLYING THAT EHUD OLMERT WILL BE DECLARING WAR TONIGHT (2YEARS TOO LATE)?
3 DEAD IDF SOLDIERS IN THE NORTH, 2 IDF SOLDIERS KIDNAPPED, TRIPLE PRONGED ATTACK, KATYUSHA, TERRORISTS ON THE GROUND SHOOTING FREELY AT IDF OUTPOST, AND THEN CAPTURING 2 IDF SOLDIERS.
HEAVY FIGHTING GOING ON NOW..IAF KNOCKED OUT BRIDGES THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN LEBANON, IDF NAVY SHELLING BEIRUT SUBURBS,
IN GAZA, MOHAMMED DEIF, LEADER OF HAMAS, LOST OTHER LEG AND ARM, NOT DEAD YET FROM LAST NIGHT’S IAF AERIAL BOMBING ON A NON EMPTY BUILDING (RABBIS SAID ”SHEHACHAYINU” [the blessing one says on happy occasions. CiJ])
TZAV 8 [Order for general call up of reservists. CiJ] CALL UP OF RESERVES JUST ISSUED BY DEFENSE MINISTRY,
SHLOMI MOSHAV IN THE NORTH ALL CHILDREN AND PARENTS ARE IN THE BOMB SHELTERS,
IDF TANKS AND TROOPS HAVE CROSSED INTO LEBANON WHERE THEY LEFT 6YEARS AGO
IDF TANKS AND TROOPS HAVE CUT GAZA STRIP IN TO TWO SECTIONS AS IAF CONTINUES BOMBING
CENSORSHIP ON OTHER DETAILS NOW IN EFFECT BY IDF
Hat tip: Wizbang
I actually find that surprising: it’s not what I’d do. FWIW
OK, so both governments are “democratically” elected. So was Hitler.
The voters are collectively responsible for their government. If the populace of Lebanon and/or Palestine elected terrorists to government, then they should get what they are asking for thereby.
Both organisations believe in pushing the Jews into the sea; they shouldn’t be too surprised if the Israelis get their pushing in first.