Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
30 September 2024 | 12:39 p.m. SAST
2-minute read

Hasan Nasrallah’s death after an airstrike on Hezbollah’s underground headquarters near Beirut in Lebanon on Friday has further intensified tensions in the region, with warnings of potential retaliation.

While some view it as a blow to the Iranian-backed militia’s organisational structure and as Israel’s attempt to reassert its dominance following the intelligence failures during the October 7^th infiltration, analysts have said that it is a superficial indicator of swift and outstanding success and a moment that will facilitate increased resistance against Israel.

The assassination, believed to be part of Israel’s strategy to weaken Hezbollah, comes after a period of increased fighting in the region.

Commentary from various regional actors reflects the complexity of Nasrallah’s contested legacy. Some argue that his refusal to disengage from fighting on multiple fronts, including the Lebanon-Israel and Gaza-Israel borders, is what made him a target for Israel. Meanwhile, others have criticised Nasrallah’s support for the Assad regime.

“The doctrinal differences cannot be glossed over,” Moulana Ebrahim Moosa said during the Palestine Report this morning, referencing the fundamental distinction between the Ahlus Sunnah and Shi’a sects.

Political analysts have noted that Israel and its allies, particularly in the US, may attempt to exploit this situation to shift the regional balance of power. Additionally, the situation indicates the ruthlessness with which the Zionists deal with any actor that challenges their hegemony in the region.

“Amidst this apparent Israeli buoyancy and regaining the momentum, we remind ourselves of a few things: that every Day-After plan in Gaza so far has failed…What’s happening in Lebanon is a distraction from the failures in Gaza,” Moulana Moosa said. “Whatever Israel apparently projects at this time, it doesn’t detract from the downward decline of US global power,” he added.

Criticism has been levelled at Iran for naively accepting the promise of a ceasefire in Gaza on condition that it did not retaliate for Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination in July this year.

Commentators have emphasised that dealing with Israel through passive means is no longer viable, given Israel’s current aggression. They argue that those who do not respond with decisive action are bound to lose, with hesitation seen as a fatal misstep. This perspective criticises reliance on the international community and diplomacy, suggesting that without proportionate and forceful deterrence, any resistance will ultimately fail.

As Israel’s right-wing government seeks to solidify its dominance, particularly after its supposed military successes, any inaction would only lead to further marginalisation and defeat. Strategic stagnation in the face of such aggression can be equated with self-destruction, Moulana Moosa said.

As the one-year commemoration of October 7^th approaches, events marking this milestone are being planned in solidarity with Palestine. These include calls from the United Ulama Council of South Africa for sunnah fasting and increased ibaadah. A major rally is scheduled for Saturday next week in Cape Town to honour Palestinian resistance.

“The point of many of these activities is twofold: One is internal introspection to question ourselves as the Ummah [about] how such a level of depraved violence from the Israelis has gone unchecked for one entire year,” Moulana Moosa said.

“It is also a celebration of Palestinian resistance. The small group in Gaza has challenged the world order, and has stood steadfast for an entire year, not only against the forces of Israel, but also the entire western world and its hypocrisy,” he added.

Listen to the Palestine Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Junaid Kharsany.