Official Says Israel Must ‘Strike First’ in ‘Inevitable’ War in Second Country

KIRYAT SHMONA, Israel—“War is inevitable,” Avichai Stern told The Daily Beast, as artillery and rocket fire cracked around us, “If it is only a question of time then making a preemptive attack is a better idea than being sitting ducks here.” Dressed in a smart suit and rimmed glasses, the mayor of border city Kiryat Schmona sticks out among the Israeli Defence Force soldiers in their combat fatigues, toting their machine guns. But they are all agreed on the fight ahead of them. “We are just waiting here for the big war to start,” said Aidan, an IDF soldier originally from the town.

Signs of war are everywhere. Driving to the city, we saw large numbers of Israeli artillery pieces being transported on the back of transport carriers towards the frontlines. Fighter jets flew back and forth overhead, presumably coming from bombing runs towards Gaza or northern Lebanon.

Just a few miles over the border are the fighters of the fearsome Iran-backed militia Hezbollah, their command posts and missile launch sites entrenched in southern Lebanon. Despite being designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., U.K. and even the Arab League, the militia holds enormous power in Lebanese politics and is considered the world’s most heavily-armed non-state actor.

Read more at The Daily Beast.