This is John Bachelor, conversation with Jonathan Schanser, the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy,

about a report from the region from Lebanon, from the Prime Minister saying that the Israelis are backing off

attacking Beirut in their contest with Hezbollah

Jonathan observes perhaps what they're referring to is backing off on their attacks

of Beirut but not dachia. Dachia is the capital of Hezbollah southern Beirut.

Jonathan here puzzles through what this information

could possibly mean and why the Israelis must keep up the assault

against Hezbollah's war rooms. More of this tonight.

You know, I don't know. I cannot imagine that the Israelis have agreed to stop striking

in the Hezbollah stronghold of Daha.

This is the suburb or neighborhood south of Beirut.

It is essentially a mirror capital of Lebanon.

In other words, you've got Beirut, which is the official political capital of the country,

which barely exists.

They have got interim governments and

cratering economies and you know a currency that is collapsing. There is no

government to speak of. What we do have though is Hezbollah in Iran-backed

terror group well-funded, well-trained, well-armed that has effectively taken over the state and that is their area of operations, Daha, is still officially part of Beirut.

I think the Israelis have no choice but to continue to hammer that area and to take out some of the group's top leadership.

They've been penetrating the tunnels beneath the ground. They've been taking out

rocket storage, missile storage, weapon storage.

This is going to very likely continue.

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