Israel is expanding its attacks in Lebanon for the third day in a row, with Israeli warplanes striking deep in the country amid growing concern about a regional escalation, and Hamas ally Hezbollah launching a barrage of over 100 rockets at Israel in response. Tens of thousands of residents of northern Israel and southern Lebanon have fled their homes as attacks rise. Israel expects “the Americans will come in and help them … knock down Hezbollah’s power,” says Rami Khouri, a Palestinian American journalist and senior public policy fellow at the American University of Beirut. “This is not something that we should celebrate,” adds Khouri, who also discusses the historical context of decades of conflict in the Arab region, and Hezbollah’s role in Lebanese politics.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.