On the past Monday afternoon, Israel carried out qualitative strikes in the southern field over a record time span, with unprecedented strategic dimensions and messages, heightening concerns that Tel Aviv is entering a new phase in its endeavor to impose its facts on Lebanon in the context of its daily pressure on Hezbollah and its environment.

It was obvious that this situation opened the doors to various speculations and interpretations, especially since these field developments occurred less than 48 hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, where the Lebanese issue was reportedly discussed between them.

Notably, the Israeli media did not miss its opportunity to launch messages implying that the Israeli military action was a prelude to something larger and more extensive and that the Israeli army is awaiting a decision from the political level regarding an action against Hezbollah.

Furthermore, the targeted Israeli raids came on the eve of two Lebanese events, the first being the meeting of the "Mechanism" committee, and the second the promised meeting of the Lebanese government, which is supposed to announce the liberation of the south of the Litani River from any armed presence other than the official one, thereby completing the first phase of the government plan approved on August 5, paving the way for the next phase known as the plan between the rivers.

All this means that this time Israel intended a qualitative military action as a message that it closely monitors all Lebanese developments related to it and that it is not about to adopt a policy of turning a blind eye or tolerance regarding its demands.

Through this escalatory approach, Israel aims, according to Hezbollah sources, "to convey that it always has more surprises for others by increasing pressure on both the party and the state, thus placing them in mandatory paths and singular options on one hand and putting them in confrontation on the other, a reality which Israel expects to unfold over time later."

Strategic expert Brigadier General Elyas Farhat (Ret.) explains to "Annahar": "In our estimation, this escalation involved new military realities, both in terms of the geographical scope of these raids or the type of targets. On the first level, the raid on the towns of Manara in Western Bekaa - Rachaiya, and Anan in the Jezzine district, and the industrial area in Sidon, located practically between Sidon and its neighbor Al-Ghaziyeh, was notable.

It is known that in the raid on Manara, the aircraft targeted the home of Sharhabeel Al-Sayyed, a political-military figure linked to the Islamic Group and the Hamas Movement, who was martyred in an Israeli raid during the supporting war battles. Israel considered him a 'valuable target' at the time, so the recent raid on his home can only be interpreted as a message to his comrades that they are under our microscope and watch, in addition to the fact that the raid itself is one of the realities proving Tel Aviv's readiness to expand the confrontation field.

As for the raid on the small Jezzine town of Anan, inhabited by people of one religious sect in a homogeneous religious and sectarian environment, it cannot be interpreted except as a message of intimidation and terror to its residents and neighboring inhabitants, so they would speak out against the party and hold it responsible before this model turns into a daily act putting them in the eye of the storm and danger."

Regarding the strike on Sidon's industrial city, Farhat says: "It's true that this city has previously received a similar blow during confrontations, but yesterday's hit naturally carries other dimensions, possibly also addressing Sidon city with an invitation to distance itself from the party, or else it will receive more harmful blows, especially as the industrial city is a hub for significant economic activity supporting more than 300 families from Sidon and its surroundings."

Farhat concludes that the dimensions included in Monday's strikes are multiple, primarily that the Israelis have decided to practically begin escalating attacks after maximizing threats and are not about to give any guarantees demanded by Lebanon in exchange for limiting weapons, saying that he remains in the first square where he exclusively holds the definitive word.