Leaders | Leash the dogs of war

An Israel-Hizbullah war would be a disaster for both

Both must find a way to step back

Hezbollah members raise their group flags and chant slogans as they attend the funeral procession of Hezbollah commanders in Beirut
Photograph: AP

Since Hizbullah started firing missiles at Israel on October 8th last year, Israelis, Lebanese and outsiders have dreaded escalation. Now it seems to be happening. The simmering conflict between Israel and Hizbullah, the Shia militia in Lebanon, is boiling over. More than 500 people were killed in a single day of air strikes as Israel targeted Hizbullah’s commanders and weapons. Tens of thousands of Lebanese have fled from the south. And Hizbullah is hitting back. On September 25th Israel intercepted a ballistic missile heading for Tel Aviv, the first time the militia has targeted Israel’s commercial capital.

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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Leash the dogs of war”

Leaders September 28th 2024

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