Israel invades Lebanon

Israeli forces have launched a major operation in Lebanon in response to the capture of two soldiers by the Hezbollah militant group.

Hezbollah fires rockets at Haifa

The militant Lebanese group Hezbollah has fired rockets at the Israeli port city of Haifa, reports say. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. Haifa, Israel's third largest city, is situated more than 30km (18 miles) from the Lebanese border and was thought to be out of Hezbollah's range. The attack comes as Israel imposes an air and sea blockade on Lebanon, following the capture of two of its soldiers by the militant group.

Acts of war raise risk to region

By Jeremy Bowen BBC Middle East Editor Israel has made a highly escalated response It is not yet war between Israel and Lebanon, but these are acts of war. Israel has described what happened on Wednesday, when two Israeli soldiers were captured, eight killed and two injured in a Hezbollah ambush, as an act of war. It has retaliated with highly escalated acts of war, which are calculated to put a great deal of pressure on the civilian population. As in Gaza - where an Israeli soldier is being held by Palestinian militant groups, including the military wing of Hamas - it is not just trying to get its people back, it is trying to deliver severe blows to Hamas and Hezbollah - trying to change the rules of the game. The leader of Hezbollah, Sheikh Hasan Nasrallah, has said that his men acted to support the Palestinians - and that he was prepared to negotiate a prisoner exchange with Israel, which has been done before. But Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert rejected that as emphatically as he ruled out negotiations with Hamas when they suggested the same thing. Formidable enemy It is difficult to see an easy way out. The pressure on Mr Olmert, an inexperienced leader in his first big crisis, has increased exponentially. Hezbollah has proved itself a formidable enemy. In Gaza, Palestinians are likely to face more, not less, Israeli military pressure. Will the Americans intervene diplomatically? Perhaps, if it gets too bad. But Israel's calculation appears to be that, in the post-11 September 2001 world, with the US very tied up in Iraq, it has time on its side. Syria threatened What has happened around the border between Israel and Lebanon is intimately connected with what has been happening in Gaza. This crisis shows, yet again, how the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis is able to destabilise their neighbours. Lebanon is dealing with an Israeli land invasion for the first time since 2000, when Israel ended a 22-year occupation of the south. It will be expecting punitive raids on its infrastructure closer to Beirut. Syria had already been threatened by Israel because of its links with Hamas. It has much stronger links with Hezbollah. The risks now, for the region, are considerable.

Is this the right thing for Israel to do?

WHTTTTTTTTTTTTTT???? Isreal did this ... OMG OMG OMG OMG ... im in a state of shock.. let me see BBC first myself😲

It's all true, only the international community can stop it from escalating too far. If you're looking for a place for WWIII to start it's here, among other places such as India-Pakistan and North Korea/China. Thankfully, the latter two areas, especially Indo-Pak are relatively calm and peaceful at the momment.

Just yesterday I was having a strong feeling that WW3 will most likely start in the Middle East.

And now this happens!

Ohh plz Tanaz.. don't plan to Jerk me like this!! WW3... OMG .. im scared... really im scared!!!

More than 40 people died in attacks... Whole of schools were bombarded.... missiles targeted at villages.. innocent people ..OMG.. this was in news 3 hours b4 😭

Originally posted by: T.

Just yesterday I was having a strong feeling that WW3 will most likely start in the Middle East.

And now this happens!

didn't Nostradamus make this prediction too?

Well, I'd just say relax for now. Getting worried wont solve anything. Hopefully calm level-headed leaders will come forth.

[Quote]didn't Nostradamus make this prediction too?[/Quote]

Yes, I believe he did.

Originally posted by: jprasad

didn't Nostradamus make this prediction too?

Tanaz is probably this IF's Nostradamus😉... OO Tanaz don't mind...😳 But u sure have that kind of calibre...👏

Abt Nostradamus.. i doubt him... I think that he wrote generally which can be drawn to any occasion... i just heard abt it in a documentary.... and people opposing him say that he didn't predict but things can b drawn from his writings.. 😕..im going this =>

Maryam, please don't rely on my fortune telling skills. I am definitely not Nostradamus 😆

As Prarara said, lets see what happens.

Besides, what you heard about Nostradamus is true. His predictions are vague and can be applied to many events - the Great Fire in Chicago, Sept 11, etc.

OO Thanks Tanaz for clearing the fog!😉😆😉.. I was just going to ask abt the next predictions u were abt to make...😆

But i was seriously talking abt ur creative skills😃😊😉