Another war could break out on the Israel-Lebanon border

T he bright winter sun playing over caves in the pockmarked cliffs and the views out over the Mediterranean are idyllic. Yet look more closely at the seemingly peaceful view from the point where Israel’s border with Lebanon meets the sea, and menace lurks. Naval patrol boats loiter close to the shore, their guns bristling in readiness. A normally popular tourist attraction is deserted save for armoured vehicles. A short drive up the wooded mountainside just south of the border fence reveals dozens of camouflaged bivouacs where paratroopers of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have been deployed since October 7th, the day of a devastating surprise attack by Hamas on Israeli communities and army bases in the south.