BEIRUT, October 24. /TASS/. The Israeli Air Force's intense strikes on Shia group Hezbollah targets deep inside Lebanon and in the mountainous areas bordering Syria signal a new phase in the conflict, Lebanese general Hassan Jouni, who is considered a leading analyst on military-strategic issues in the Middle East, told a TASS correspondent.

"The time allotted by Washington for diplomatic efforts has expired, and Israel has moved on to a new stage of military escalation after hopes that the Lebanese army would disarm Hezbollah forces quickly collapsed," he said.

According to the expert, the ceasefire agreement, sponsored by the US and France and concluded on November 27, 2024, remained on paper. "Unlike the Lebanese army, which was deployed with the support of UN peacekeepers to stabilize the southern regions, Israel chose to continue the war," he emphasized. "Moreover, relying on US support, the government of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu made the disarmament of Hezbollah throughout Lebanon a condition for the withdrawal of its troops," the general recalled.

From Jouni’s point of view, the US and Israel deliberately failed to reach a ceasefire agreement and began to put forward conditions that were unacceptable to Lebanon. "The Americans are blackmailing the Lebanese leadership and trying to force them into direct negotiations with Israel. That is their goal," he noted. "Hezbollah's weapons depots are just a pretext," the general pointed out.

The military analyst did not rule out the possibility that strikes on bunkers and tunnels storing Shia militia rockets could be followed by a large-scale operation in eastern Lebanon. "Israeli troops have a geographical advantage after capturing advantageous positions on Syrian territory in December of last year, including Mount Hermon," he stressed.

According to the expert, US envoy Tom Barrack's warning about an impending confrontation in Lebanon indicates a complex scenario. "We can no longer talk about any red lines limiting Israel's actions," he concluded.