Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanon: Can it be broken?

Britain, America and European and Arab nations have jointly called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to allow time for negotiations that could avoid a full-scale war. READ MORE: Israel’s military leaders told troops on Wednesday to prepare for a ground offensive into Lebanon to push back the Iran-backed militant group as hopes faded that an invasion could be avoided. Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, chief of the general staff, told soldiers their “boots will enter enemy territory”, after airstrikes by Israel killed more than 600 people in Lebanon over recent days. Hezbollah retaliated by continuing with rocket and ballistic missile attacks which have forced tens of thousands of Israelis to flee the country’s north. The joint call for a ceasefire was negotiated on the sidelines of the UN general assembly in New York on Wednesday. “We call for an im