BBC Pidgin of Sunday, 25 August 2024

Source: BBC

Israel and Hezbollah say dey no want war - but dey both dey ready for am

One Israeli fighter over one area near di Lebanon-Israel border One Israeli fighter over one area near di Lebanon-Israel border

Dis morning exchange of strikes between Israel and Hezbollah show to be one serious escalation.

Di Israeli military tok say around 100 fighter jets na im carry out wetin dem describe as pre-emptive strikes on Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon on Sunday morning. Hezbollah later fire rockets and missiles into northern Israel.

If dat 100 figure dey correct, e go be di largest Israeli attack on Lebanon since di full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah for 2006.

Israel strikes bin happun around 04:30 local time (01:30 GMT), and dem tok say Hezbollah dey plan one large-scale attack half hour later, for 05:00 local time.

According to tori by di New York Times, wey quote anonymous Israeli intelligence official, dis included rocket strikes on Tel Aviv, di kontri biggest city, deep inside central Israel.

For di end, Hezbollah bin tok say dem don fire more dan 300 rockets and missiles wey target military facilities for northern Israel, wia air raid sirens bin don dey sound.

Across region, di fear whether na di latest escalation fit once again lead to all-out war.

For one statement, Hezbollah bin tok say dis na di first phase of dia response to Israeli assassination of one senior commander Fouad Shukr for strike for Beirut on 30 July.

E dey widely believe say na Israel dey behind di assassination of di political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, for strike for di ranian capital Tehran di following day.

Ever since, di region don dey dey wait for response from both Hezbollah and Iran.

From Iran, dey yet to come

But dis show to be Hezbollah first significant retaliation.

For weeks now diplomats bin don dey work to try avoid di crisis for Gaza to burst into one wider regional conflict.

Di United States don warn say di failure to agree to ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas fit see those diplomatic efforts fail.

But despite serious US pressure, toks to establish one ceasefire deal for Gaza afta more dan 10 months of war don lead to notin.

Israel military tok say dem dey ready to fight war for two fronts: for Gaza and on dia northern border wit Lebanon.

But Hezbollah na far more dangerous force dan Hamas.

Dem estimate say dem get around 150,000 rockets, some wey dey capable to reach targets across Israel.

Dia fighters, some of wey don fight for di war for Syria, dey well trained and better equipped dan those of Hamas.

Almost one year into di conflict for Gaza, some kwesions whether appetite dey for Israel for anoda war.

Hundreds of thousands of Israeli army reservists don dey called up to fight for Gaza, often dey serve several tours.

But many Israelis, especially those from di north, say dem need deal wit Hezbollah.

Tens of thousands of pipo wey dey live dia don dey evacuated from dia homes since di start of di war for Gaza. Many don lost dia businesses.

For southern Lebanon too, tens of thousands of pipo don dey forced to comot from dia homes sake of fears of Israeli strikes.

Israeli and Hezbollah leaders say dey no want anoda full-scale war. But both sides say dem dey ready for am.