The limits of the strategy to contain Hezbollah

Since Cabinet adopted the army’s plan for a monopoly on weapons in September, one particular expression has become increasingly more common in political jargon: the containment of Hezbollah.As the army document sets out, the strategy is one of "passive" disarmament (carried out alongside more "active" weapons seizures), which allows the government to avoid a direct confrontation with the militia. The way this works is that the army gradually tightens up the border with Syria and prevents the party from moving equipment within Lebanese territory, betting on Hezbollah's arsenal withering away and ultimately running dry.Except — Israel is relentlessly intensifying its pressure on the country and its bombardment on the South and the Bekaa, sending an unambiguous message that could reveal the limits of this strategy:...