It has been an astonishing and deadly few weeks in the Middle East. First, Israel detonated Hezbollah's pagers and walkie-talkies. Since then, airstrikes have intensified, killing hundreds of civilians in Lebanon and forcing thousands to flee their homes. Then, on Friday, the most shocking news came. Hassan Nasrallah, who led Hezbollah for more than 30 years, was assassinated by Israel in a bunker beneath Beirut.
Since then, one after another, the group's leaders have met Nasrallah's fate as the civilian death toll rises. Jason BurkeThe Guardian's international security correspondent explains why the situation escalated so quickly. he says michael safi How seriously did the assassination damage Hezbollah, and will the insurgent group be able to recover? And he explains how Iran might respond to such a humiliating attack on its proxies.
As Israel appears to be moving closer to a ground invasion of Lebanon, Jason said the conflict, with its ever-changing kaleidoscope of violent events, reflects the dangerous times we live in. says.
Photo: Abedin Taherkenare/EPA
