Laith Marouf: Hezbollah vs Israel: Air & Ground War Intensifies

Israeli forces attacked multiple residential neighborhoods in downtown Beirut, killing at least 14 people, primarily families sleeping. One target was the apartment of Al-Manar television's political programming manager, who was assassinated along with his wife, framed as a direct attack on a journalist. The guest claims that in two and a half years of this war, Israeli forces have killed more journalists globally than all wars combined since WWI, and over 40 medical workers in Lebanon in the last 14 days, averaging six children killed per day in Lebanon during this period.

Last night around 2:33 a.m., the Zionist attacked multiple neighborhoods in the core downtown area of Beirut, on residential buildings. There's at least 14 martyrs... One of those apartments that were hit was the apartment of the manager of the political programming on al-Manar television and he was martyred him and his wife. After these two and a half years of this war, the Zionist managed to kill more journalists on this planet than all the wars combined from World War I till now. In Lebanon over the last 14 days they've killed over more than 40 medical workers. On average right now since the beginning of this round of war here in Lebanon, the Israelis are killing six children a day in Lebanon.

Hezbollah has repelled multiple attempted ground invasions in South Lebanon, forcing Israeli withdrawals from villages. In the last 24 hours, Hezbollah destroyed at least 10 Merkava tanks, bringing the total to nearly 30 in 15 days. Hezbollah consistently targets Israeli gathering points, utilizing artillery, missiles, and long-range drones, reaching as far as the Tel Aviv region.

Over the last 24 hours, Hezbollah destroyed at least 10 Marava tanks. In 15 days since the battle started in the south of Lebanon, I think the number is close to 30 tanks destroyed. The Hezbollah keeps on hitting the gathering points inside occupied Palestine in the north of occupied Palestine and continues to fire ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, long range drones all the way to the Tel Aviv region.

There is clear coordination among Iran, Hezbollah, and Iraqi resistance groups, with each component having specific target lists. Iran's aerospace forces target bases in the occupied Golan Heights with ballistic missiles to reduce surveillance capabilities against Hezbollah. After two weeks of destroying Israeli air defenses and command/control links, Hezbollah's missiles and drones are reaching targets with greater ease.

Definitely there is coordination and each member of the axis of resistance has sets of targets that they are concentrating on... There is bases in the north of Palestine in the occupied Golan Heights that the Iranian aerospace forces are the ones that are hitting... After two weeks of destroying the air defenses of the Zionist colony and their command and control and communication linkups it's becoming easier and easier for Hezbollah and other members of the Axis to hit their targets.

The guest dismisses Israeli claims of mobilizing 450,000 reservists as propaganda, stating it's an impossible number for them to reach. He argues that concentrating large numbers of troops and tanks near the Lebanese border makes them easier targets for Hezbollah's weaponry, accelerating the collapse of Israeli armed forces. This troop deployment also weakens Israeli control over the West Bank and Gaza, leading to increased settler violence.

Throwing numbers like 450,000 reserveists to be called. That's the number that the Zionist colony never in its whole history was able to mobilize. So I think it's a number that is partially fake... The more the Zionists push troops onto the border of Lebanon, the less they have to control the West Bank and Gaza.

Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is already involved in the conflict, providing protection for Israeli special forces infiltrating Lebanon from Syria. HTS 'red bandanas' (special forces) have been defeated in battles alongside Israelis. The guest argues that HTS's 30,000-strong force is insufficient to change the battle's balance, and a full mobilization would leave Syrian cities and borders vulnerable to Iraqi resistance or internal rebellion, leading to HTS's downfall.

HTS is already involved. The battle that happened a week ago in Nebishit in the Bika Valley when the Zionist special forces infiltrated and were ambushed. This happened under the protection of the HTS... If Al Gouani decides to use anything above and beyond the red bandanas he would have to mobilize practically all of the HTS to the border of Lebanon which will leave the borders with Iraq empty... this will be the end of HDS.

The Axis of Resistance maintains control over the escalation ladder, choosing the timing and stages of the war. While the US and Israel rely on expensive air and naval power, the Axis utilizes cost-effective drones and missiles. This financial disparity means that a prolonged conflict favors the Axis, leading to the eventual defeat of imperial powers, unless nuclear weapons are deployed.

The axis of resistance has control of the escalation ladder... The United States and the Zionist colony have a high dependency on air power... The access is the opposite. It does depend on defense on the ground and it has the cheap alternative to air force which is usually the most expensive component of any military with the drones and missiles. As long as the axis of resistance can draw out this war the west will lose.

Iraq has become a crucial component of the Axis of Resistance, filling gaps in weapon smuggling routes to Lebanon and Palestine. The Iraqi resistance is now the only Arab revolutionary, anti-imperialist force capable of projecting power across West Asia (Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia). It has successfully attacked American bases and the US embassy in Iraq, and its rise has degraded the influence of Kurdish militias that attempted to collaborate with the West.

The Iraqi resistance right now is the only Arabic revolutionary anti-imperialist force that is able to project power across the whole of West Asia into Syria, into Jordan, into Kuwait, Saudi and so forth... The resistance in Iraq is able to destroy American bases inside Iraq. By the way, the American embassy in Iraq is practically destroyed.

The guest asserts that the Sunni-Shia divide is a manufactured, imperialist construct, arguing that there are only Muslims, and historical differences were political, not sectarian. He claims that the Saudi family's propaganda, which used oil money to export depraved interpretations of Islam, has now dissipated. Public opinion in Gulf Arab states is shifting, with people rejecting leaders perceived as serving Israel or the US, leading to a potential rise of new, anti-imperialist Sunni and Arab leadership.

This issue of Sunnah and Shia is a manufactured thing that we see that is imperialist... The power of the propaganda created for by the Saud family and the Wahhabi cult on behalf of the Zionist and imperialists have just dissipated is zero... Anyone that had delusions in their heads or was confused within the Sunni spaces... are right now awakening to reality. There is actually a chance for the rise of a new Sunni leadership that is anti-imperialist and brotherly with our Shia cousins.

The guest believes it is 'very possible' that Israel will attempt to destroy Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially as they face military defeat. He notes the mosque has been closed to Palestinians during Ramadan, raising concerns about Israeli actions inside. If Al-Aqsa is attacked in the name of Judaism, he predicts it will trigger global Muslim revenge against Jewish institutions that support Israeli actions, forcing them to cease funding Israel.

It's very possible that they would do that because of course they are crazy... If it happens that the Zionists actually do such a thing I think it will trigger Muslim people around the world... to take revenge justifiably against the Jewish institutions... that are supporting the genocides and the wars... If the Axa mosque is attacked in the name of Judaism and if the West doesn't do anything about it... then it is dependent on the Muslim people to defend Islam's holy sites.

Military analysts estimate that Western air defense supplies (FAD, Arrow, David's Sling, Patriots) are around 60% depleted after 19 days of war. The guest predicts that within another week, there will be no more air defenses for the West in the region. Iran, controlling the escalation ladder, will then target major radar installations and air defense systems in Turkey, followed by airfields in Cyprus and the NATO base in Greece, leading to a new, more dangerous stage of the war with significant American ground troop casualties.

All the military analysts... are saying we're around 60% of depletion for something like the FAD, the Arrow, the Davis Sling, and the Patriots... Imagine one more week of this. There will be no more air defenses period for the west in the region. Iran will hit Turkey... probably by next week we will see those also targeted once the everything else is destroyed.