Israel is increasingly operating in parts of Lebanon which are not widely populated by Shias, who are most likely to support Hizbullah. This is stoking fears that Israel hopes to inflame Lebanon’s long-standing sectarian divisions and thus foment political change.

The balance sheet of Israel 's ongoing war on Lebanon paints a grim picture. The climbing death toll is over 3,000 people, more than a million people have been displaced and nearly a quarter of buildings in southern Lebanon have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli bombings and detonations.