More of the Same But Twisted Anew

I mentioned yesterday that I saw from my balcony what may have been an Israeli jet in the sky to the south and west of me. I saw another today (and heard its ominous roar).

As a Lebanese security official stated this morning,

More than four Israeli jets began overflying most of the southern part of the country at 0630 GMT

This violation of Lebanese airspace, sovereignty, and UN resolution 1701 is not anything new. But what is troubling is the flyovers' alignment with statements like this one from Israeli Deputy Defense Minister, Matan Vilani:

The most dangerous possibility for us is to see Iran's proxies take control of the Gaza Strip and Lebanon because the fates of both regions are connected.

When Israeli officials begin to compare Lebanon to Gaza, the whole world should shudder, not because the officials are anywhere close to the truth, but because if Israel deals with Lebanon in the same way that it has been approaching Gaza (or, for that matter, as it has dealt with Lebanon at any point in its history), there will be a significant number of casualties.

Moreover, a US warship, the USS Cole, is on its way back to international waters just off the coast of Lebanon.

I don't mean to be an alarmist; the USS Cole was here in February without immediate consequence and as mentioned, Israeli jets frequently fly over Lebanon. But these moves, given the present context, are troubling.