On Sunday, he defended his outreach to Israel, saying it was the only way to prevent Lebanon from turning into another Gaza. But its resilience has surprised Israeli military planners. The group is still managing to fire 150 or more rockets and drones at Israel every day. (Reuters)The Israel Defense Forces has seized the second line of border villages, 8-10km inside Lebanon, buffering Israeli border communities from anti-tank missiles and removing the threat of a Hamas-style border incursion. After he ends the Iran war, will he push Israel towards a political solution by engaging with the Beirut government, or will he allow the Israeli military to escalate?

Source: The Irish Times April 05, 2026 14:39 UTC