As Lebanon joins the Arab and Islamic countries that began the month of Ramadan today, the impressions and realities related to the fate of the fierce military confrontations ongoing on its southern borders with Israel have not differed much from those related to the Gaza War, despite the significant disparity still existing between the two conflicts and the scale of human and material losses left by each. The data available to various parties monitoring the war scene and the continuous diplomatic movements aimed at achieving a truce in Gaza, even after the start of Ramadan today, lean towards extreme pessimism regarding the possibilities of achieving a diplomatic breakthrough to cool the Gaza front and, consequently, automatically the southern Lebanese front. Recent developments have reflected the failure of diplomatic efforts to establish a "Ramadan truce", which has seemingly become more complicated than before, and thus the ongoing bleeding observed in southern Lebanon appears poised to continue for a long time. One concerned party even fears that this diplomatic failure might serve as a provocative incentive for Israel to take further measures to empty Gaza, as well as to expand the destruction and paralysis in the confrontation areas in southern Lebanon, an outcome that no longer requires much speculation or estimates given that Israel is relentlessly pursuing an escalating approach. Among its recent actions in southern Lebanon was the commission of a new massacre in Khirbet Selm, which resulted in the deaths of four members of the same family and caused different injuries to nine other citizens, according to "An-Nahar".
The announcement by the Israeli army yesterday that it is "practicing multi-armed supply under fire in preparation for ground maneuvers on the northern front" was nothing but an escalation of threats against Lebanon. The statement indicated that "last week, an operational exercise was conducted that included air and ground logistical supply led by the Technology and Logistics Branch in cooperation with the Northern Command, the Air Force, and other units belonging to the Ground Arm. Forces practiced during the exercise the transportation of equipment, water, fuel, and types of ammunition during emergencies to maneuvering forces engaged in combat on the northern front. The exercise included loading equipment carried by Air Force aircraft, unloading it, and transporting it via vehicles on the ground." It was revealed that "since the outbreak of the war, seven logistical supply operations have been completed by the air supply unit of the 'Hamarom' Brigade, during which approximately 110 tons of supplies were delivered to the maneuvering forces in Gaza. On the ground, thousands of other logistical operations were carried out by logistical convoys. The army is ready to carry out similar operations on the northern front as well, at high intensity and under fire if necessary."
