The next terrifying war: Israel v Hizbullah
It would feature kamikaze drones, mass blackouts and the largest missile barrage in history
![A woman carries a portrait of Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah past destroyed houses in Aita, Lebanon](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240706_MAP001.jpg)
A war is looming in Lebanon. For months Israel and Hizbullah, an Iranian-armed Shia militia, have traded drones, rockets and missiles (see charts). Northern Israel has been blasted and depopulated: 70,000 people have been displaced. More have left southern Lebanon. On July 3rd Israel killed a senior Hizbullah commander; the group responded with a heavy rocket barrage. Several countries, including America, are telling their citizens to leave Lebanon. Israel’s leaders talk of war as though it is inevitable. It would be the most intense conflict in the region in decades—a calamity for Israel and a disaster for Lebanon.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Dangerous sparks”
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