Is a New World War Near?

 Is a New World War Near?

War was his life. He grew up in war, gained everything he had from it, and lost everything because of it. War took his life, but it became a new beginning for him in death.

On September 27, the assassination of Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, has pushed the world closer to a major war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after claiming responsibility for Nasrallah’s killing, stated that he had avenged the deaths of numerous Israeli citizens, as well as many Americans and French nationals. In Netanyahu’s view, the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah's Nasrallah were great victories, but the reality is that despite these "victories," Israel has become more vulnerable than ever before.

In 1992, Israeli helicopters attacked Lebanon and assassinated Hezbollah’s then-Secretary-General, Abbas al-Musawi, along with his wife and five-year-old son. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir also believed that Israel had become safer. But this belief was mistaken. When Hassan Nasrallah took over Hezbollah’s leadership after Musawi, the resistance against Israel intensified.

 

In 1997, Nasrallah’s 18-year-old son, Muhammad Hadi Nasrallah, was martyred while resisting Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. His body was blown to pieces, and Israel offered to return his remains to Hezbollah. Nasrallah rejected the offer, which only strengthened his public support.

Israel had occupied large parts of southern Lebanon since 1982 and had formed the South Lebanon Army with the support of Lebanese Christians. Nasrallah began dialogues with the Christian community, urging them to withdraw their support from the South Lebanon Army and Israel, while expanding the resistance with Iran’s assistance. Eventually, in 2000, Israel was forced to withdraw from southern Lebanon, and the South Lebanon Army fled to Israel. This was a significant victory for Nasrallah.

 

In 2004, Nasrallah negotiated a prisoner exchange with Israel, in which Israel returned the remains of Nasrallah’s son, Hadi. In that same year, Israeli helicopters attacked Gaza and assassinated Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin after Fajr prayers. Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz called Yassin the "Osama bin Laden of Palestine" and claimed that by targeting him, Israel was now safer. But the ground realities told a different story.

If Palestine and Lebanon are unsafe today, Israel is equally insecure. Several Western airlines have suspended flights to Israel, and Israeli citizens are fleeing in large numbers to Europe and the U.S. Israel is facing a manpower shortage in its military, and its true strength lies in its wealth and support from Western countries. With this financial and political power, Israel creates traitors within the ranks of its enemies and targets them with the help of these collaborators.

In 2008, Israel assassinated one of Nasrallah’s close associates, Imad Fayyaz Mughniyeh, in Damascus, showcasing its ability to operate a spy network even in Syria's capital. Mughniyeh’s car exploded when Israeli agents replaced one of its tires with an explosive device. In 2020, Iranian Quds Force commander General Qasem Soleimani was targeted in Baghdad by an American drone. The order was given by U.S. President Donald Trump, and Mahmoud Mousavi, who provided intelligence on Soleimani’s movements, was executed in Iran.

On July 31, 2024, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, revealing Israel's deep intelligence network in Iran's capital. These networks are not only limited to Iran, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon but extend across the Middle East and Pakistan. In many Muslim countries, Israel fuels sectarian hatred and secretly supports those who ignite religious strife.

Hamas and Hezbollah were formed as a reaction to Israel's aggressive policies. If Israel hadn’t invaded Lebanon in 1982, Hezbollah would not have come into existence. If the United Nations resolutions on Palestine had been implemented, Hamas wouldn’t have emerged either. But under the U.N.'s watch, Israel disregarded international laws from Palestine to Lebanon, without facing any repercussions from the West. While Hezbollah is labeled as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Europe, and several Arab countries, nations like China, Russia, North Korea, and Syria do not share this view.

Now, with the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, Naim Qassem has been appointed as Hezbollah's new Secretary-General. Few people know that Nasrallah had already been grooming Qassem as his successor. Qassem’s book, Hezbollah, has been translated into several languages, and it shows that he advocates a much tougher stance against Israel.

I read this book in 2006 in Beirut, where I learned that Nasrallah had drawn a red line in his resistance against Israel to prevent Israel from bombing Lebanon so heavily that its infrastructure would be completely destroyed. However, Qassem has long supported more aggressive actions, similar to the attack carried out by Hamas in October 2023.

In his book, Qassem wrote that the only solution to an enemy with a powerful army and air force is martyrdom operations. If Qassem steers Hezbollah in the direction outlined in his book, the Middle East conflict may spread to other regions. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has plans to target Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and he has air power and American drones at his disposal. Meanwhile, Qassem commands thousands of martyrdom attackers. Unfortunately, we are heading towards a new war where air power and martyrdom operations will take precedence, with ground forces playing a minor role.

If the international community fails to prevent this new conflict, the world will soon forget Hassan Nasrallah. If you don’t believe me, just read Hezbollah, the book by his successor.

By Abida lubna 

Emai:ideas.innovate7661@gmail.com