The Daily · The New York Times

A War Within the War: Israel’s Bombardment of Lebanon

March 16, 2026·26 min·2 clips

Christina Goldbaum reveals the acrid smell and constant drone buzzing in Beirut as over a million people flee Israeli airstrikes.

The Daily host Rachel Abrams speaks with New York Times Beirut bureau chief Christina Goldbaum about the Israeli military campaign against Lebanon in the context of the broader war with Iran. Goldbaum describes the atmosphere in Beirut: an acrid smell from airstrikes, constant drone sounds, mass displacement with makeshift tent camps in parking lots and along the corniche, and cratered neighborhoods in the Dahiya district where Hezbollah holds sway. Over a million people have been displaced in a country of 5.8 million, and more than 800 have been killed. The current escalation began when Hezbollah fired on Israel following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Israel used this as the trigger for long-planned offensive operations aimed at permanently dismantling Hezbollah. Goldbaum explains that Israel has issued sweeping evacuation orders for all of southern Beirut and a 25-mile swath of southern Lebanon — something not seen in the 2024 conflict — and rhetoric from the Israeli defense minister comparing the planned destruction to what was done to Khan Yunis in Gaza. The history of Hezbollah is traced from the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon through its emergence as a Shia resistance movement backed by Iran, its political entrenchment in Lebanese society including parliamentary seats, hospitals, schools, and employment for tens of thousands, and the killing of longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah in 2024. Goldbaum reports that despite Hezbollah's claimed weakening over the past year, it has been actively rebuilding weapons stockpiles and receiving IRGC personnel from Iran. The Lebanese government agreed after the 2024 ceasefire to begin disarming Hezbollah but faces severe limitations: a weak and underpaid military and the risk that a confrontation could trigger civil war. Goldbaum describes a novel crack in Hezbollah's support base — many Shia civilians are openly questioning why Hezbollah entered the war over the killing of an Iranian leader while Lebanese people were already dying from Israeli strikes. The United States, historically a moderating force on Israeli action in Lebanon, has largely stood aside in this escalation. Fears are growing that even after a ceasefire with Iran, Israel will continue pursuing its Lebanon campaign with the goal of establishing a permanent buffer zone in southern Lebanon. The episode is suited for listeners following Middle East geopolitics, the Israel-Lebanon conflict, and international affairs.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The Daily