Relief as Hezbollah and Israel appear to have pulled back from the brink

For nearly a month, many in Lebanon have been waiting anxiously for Hezbollah to retaliate against Israel. The region has also been waiting, wondering if this is the spark for a wider war.

Everyone knew the powerful Iran-backed group would seek revenge for the July 30 Israeli assassination of a senior military commander, Fuad Shukr. The Israelis had tracked him down deep in Hezbollah’s heartland in southern Beirut. It was both a strategic loss and a public humiliation.

Just hours later, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, in an event that bore all the hallmarks of another Israeli operation. But Iran continued to signal that its retaliation could be a long-term project.

At 5:15 a.m. Sunday, Hezbollah struck, launching more than 300 Katyusha rockets and “a large number of drones” across the border into Israel. This was cold revenge. It was carefully measured and less than some expected.

Hezbollah said it targeted 11 military bases and barracks, and claimed its attack was successful. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said most of the missiles missed their targets.

Hezbollah, by any means, has not set its sights on major cities in Israel, or on critical infrastructure. And it has not brought out its big guns. The group – classified as a terrorist organization by Britain and the United States – is believed to have more weapons than many countries.

Israel struck first, at 04:30, flooding the skies with fighter jets targeting Hezbollah firing positions. The IDF said this “preemptive strike” destroyed thousands of rocket launchers.

It is the biggest outbreak since the Gaza war began last October, after Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel in a single day.

Since then, Hezbollah has traded fire with Israel across their shared border, expressed support for its ally Hamas and declared solidarity with the people of Gaza.

So where are we, one day? Perhaps surprisingly, the Middle East might be a little safer.

Both sides have sent messages, but not all-out war. And Hezbollah has signaled that it is ready to close the chapter on Fuad Shukr — for now.

“We reserve the right to continue responding at a later time, but for now, the people can rest assured and continue with their lives,” said Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah leader.

After a stressful month, that’s a welcome message for many here.

He was addressing supporters on TV from an undisclosed location – he could be at the top of Israel’s hit list.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Sunday’s air strike on Hezbollah “is not the end of the story”.

But diplomats told Reuters news agency that both sides had exchanged messages that they did not want tensions to escalate further.

In southern Lebanon, low-level conflict has returned.

Israel has attempted another assassination, leaving a burning car in the hot streets of Sidon, a port city. Local sources say the target was a Hamas leader who managed to jump out.

Along the coast of Tyre, Israeli jets fly so low, they break the sound barrier – but the beach below is more crowded.

“Everything seems calm today,” said a man in his 20s who did not want to be named.

“Everything is back to normal. The streets are quiet, but people are out again. Today, people can breathe again.”

Hezbollah said it had delayed retaliation to allow time for talks on a ceasefire in Gaza. But the latest round of talks in Egypt ended without any apparent progress.

While the war in Gaza continues with all its horror, it is causing instability across the Middle East.