Hindi English Translation || Editorial || The edge of war: On the West Asia situation

The edge of war: On the West Asia situation

Iran should not give Israel an excuse (बहाना) to widen (चौड़ा करना, फैलाना) the war

The killing of Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, was one of the most consequential (महत्वपूर्ण, गंभीर) acts by Israel since the war in West Asia broke out on October 7, 2023. Hezbollah, which, under Nasrallah’s three-decade (दशक) long leadership, emerged as a parallel state (समानांतर सरकार) in Lebanon, has been seen by the Israelis as their most powerful non-state (गैर-राज्य संबंधी) enemy. Viewed by the U.S. as a terror group, it is also a central constituent (integral part) in Iran’s “axis of resistance (An alliance known as the Axis of Resistance, built up over decades with Iranian support, includes the Palestinian group Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Yemen’s Houthis, and various Shi’ite Muslim armed groups in Iraq and Syria)”, through which Iran projects (प्रस्तुत करना, प्रदर्शित करना) its influence (प्रभाव, नियंत्रण) across the region. By killing Nasrallah, Israel has dealt Hezbollah a heavy blow (shock, surprise; setback/misfortune) and dented (reduce, diminish, lessen, shrink, weaken, erode, undermine) Iran’s influence, but its cross-border (सीमा पार) attacks have killed and displaced (विस्थापित करना) thousands and crossed the brightest of Iran’s red lines (boundary, limit). The region has never been this close to an open war (खुला युद्ध) between Israel and Iran. When Israel launched its retaliatory (प्रतिशोधी) war on Gaza after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Nasrallah opened a second front (combat zone, field of battle, battlefield, battleground) by firing rockets into northern Israel. He wanted to keep some military pressure on the Israeli Defense Forces when the war on Gaza was killing tens of thousands of Palestinians. Israel played along with limited exchange of fire in return for Hezbollah’s rockets when its focus was on Gaza. But after destroying much of Gaza, Israel turned its attention towards Lebanon, and then dramatically (नाटकीय रूप से) escalated (increase rapidly, rise, soar, surge, intensify, accelerate) the conflict (संघर्ष, युद्ध), targeting Hezbollah’s ground functionaries (पदाधिकारी), its commanders and then Nasrallah.

Israel’s declared objective (target, intention, purpose, goal/aim) in the north is to enable (let, facilitate, give the resources to, give the means to) the over 60,000 people who were displaced by Hezbollah’s rockets to return to their homes. Its strikes (attack) have weakened Hezbollah but not destroyed its missile (a self-propelled/rocket-propelled weapon designed to deliver a conventional/nuclear explosive warhead with great accuracy at high speed; projectile) capabilities. This means Israel could launch a ground offensive (attack, onslaught, incursion, assault) into Lebanon, seeking (try, aim, attempt) to push Hezbollah to the north of the Litani river and carve (to form, create or obtain something) a buffer on the border. A ground offensive would displace and kill tens of thousands of people in Lebanon, which is reeling under deep economic pains. Israel’s invasion (attack, offensive, onslaught, incursion, assault) of Gaza is yet to meet (fulfil, satisfy, come up to, match up to (a need, requirement, or condition)) its declared objectives of destroying Hamas and securing the release of hostages (a person captured or held as security for the fulfilment of certain conditions/terms). There is no guarantee that Israel would quickly meet its objectives in Lebanon. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees the crisis as an opportunity for Israel to degrade (reduce, devalue, deteriorate, degenerate) its non-state rivals (opponent, combatant, adversary, nemesis, enemy/foe) even at the cost of (by sacrificing/losing/giving up something) triggering (stir up, stoke up, instigate , encourage, prompt, rouse, provoke) an all-out (intense, aggressive, vigorous, powerful) war with Iran. The U.S. publicly calls for ceasefires (a negotiated agreement that will be accompanied by other associated commitments to de-escalate the fighting; a temporary stoppage of a war, truce, armistice) in Gaza and Lebanon, but these words do not carry any weight (value, importance, significance) as the Biden administration (government, regime) continues to arm (provide/supply with weapons) Israel. Iran, repeatedly (frequently, again and again, invariably, constantly, regularly, consistently) provoked (annoy, make angry, incense, infuriate; incite, arouse) and pushed to the corner, has so far (until now, up to the present, up to this point) exercised relative (reasonable, considerable, some, a fair degree of) restraint (restriction, limitation, control) while Israel has gone on a blood-thirsty (murderous, violent, sadistic) rampage (a period of uncontrollable behaviour; rioting, out of control, running amok, going berserk). Iran might be tempted (entice, persuade, induce, cajole, coax, woo) to respond to the Nasrallah killing with force. But Tehran should not give Mr. Netanyahu what he wants — an excuse to start a wider war in West Asia.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.excuse (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बहाना
English Meaning - (ostensible) reason.

2.widen (verb)

Hindi Meaning - चौड़ा करना, फैलाना
English Meaning - increase, spread, amplify.

3.consequential (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - महत्वपूर्ण, गंभीर
English Meaning - important, significant, major, serious.

4.decade (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दशक
English Meaning - a period of ten years.

5.parallel state/government (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समानांतर सरकार
English Meaning - a government formed by a person or by a group of people regardless of the presence of the main government with authority. It is basically formed to undermine the authority of the main government.

6.non-state (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - गैर-राज्य संबंधी
English Meaning - relating to an individual or organization that has significant political influence.

7.project (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रस्तुत करना, प्रदर्शित करना
English Meaning - present, promote, communicate something in a particular way.

8.influence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रभाव, नियंत्रण
English Meaning - control, sway, hold, power, authority, domination, leadership.

9.cross-border (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सीमा पार
English Meaning - across a border between two states/countries.

10.displace (verb)

Hindi Meaning - विस्थापित करना
English Meaning - force someone to leave his/her home, usually due to war, persecution, or natural disaster; banish, exile, deport, evict, expel, oust.

11.open war (noun)

Hindi Meaning - खुला युद्ध
English Meaning - a military tactic characterized by direct, large-scale confrontations between opposing forces, rather than relying on trench warfare or guerrilla tactics.

12.retaliatory (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिशोधी
English Meaning - revenging, vengeful, avenging.

13.dramatically (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - नाटकीय रूप से
English Meaning - rapidly, abruptly, suddenly, aggressively, seriously.

14.conflict (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संघर्ष, युद्ध
English Meaning - war, warfare, armed conflict, military action, armed clash.

15.functionary (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पदाधिकारी
English Meaning - office-holder, office-bearer, administrator, representative.

16.edge (noun)

English Meaning - brink, verge, outer limit.

17.Hezbollah (noun)

English Meaning - Hezbollah is a Shiite Muslim political party and militant group based in Lebanon, where its extensive security apparatus, political organization, and social services network have fostered its reputation as “a state within a state.” Founded in the chaos of the fifteen-year Lebanese Civil War, the Iran-backed group is driven by its opposition to Israel and its resistance to Western influence in the Middle East.

18.break out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - begin/start suddenly, erupt, burst out, flare up.

19.constituent (noun)

English Meaning - integral part.

20.axis of resistance (noun)

English Meaning - An alliance known as the Axis of Resistance, built up over decades with Iranian support, includes the Palestinian group Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Yemen’s Houthis, and various Shi’ite Muslim armed groups in Iraq and Syria.

21.blow (noun)

English Meaning - shock, surprise; setback/misfortune.

22.deal a blow (phrase)

English Meaning - to harm, upset, affect, afflict or shock someone/something very badly; hit someone/something very badly in order to cause harm

23.dent (verb)

English Meaning - reduce, diminish, lessen, shrink, weaken, erode, undermine.

24.red line (noun)

English Meaning - boundary, limit.

25.Gaza (noun)

English Meaning - a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip. Gaza Strip is a self-governing Palestinian territory surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, Israel and Egypt.

26.Hamas (noun)

English Meaning - Hamas is an Islamist militant group based in Gaza.

27.front (noun)

English Meaning - combat zone, field of battle, battlefield, battleground.

28.Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) (noun)

English Meaning - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are the armed forces of Israel, comprising the Israeli army, navy, and air force. it is was established in 1948 and commonly known in Israel by its Hebrew acronym Tzahal.

29.play along (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - cooperate or pretend to cooperate.

30.exchange (of) fire (phrase)

English Meaning - shoot at each other.

31.escalate (verb)

English Meaning - increase rapidly, rise, soar, surge, intensify, accelerate.

32.objective (noun)

English Meaning - target, intention, purpose, goal/aim.

33.enable (verb)

English Meaning - let, facilitate, give the resources to, give the means to.

34.strike (noun)

English Meaning - attack.

35.missile (noun)

English Meaning - a self-propelled/rocket-propelled weapon designed to deliver a conventional/nuclear explosive warhead with great accuracy at high speed; projectile.

36.offensive (noun)

English Meaning - attack, onslaught, incursion, assault.

37.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

38.carve (verb)

English Meaning - to form, create or obtain something.

39.buffer zone (noun)

English Meaning - neutral area, neutral territory.

40.reel under (phrase)

English Meaning - to suffer (due to a burden).

41.invasion (noun)

English Meaning - attack, offensive, onslaught, incursion, assault.

42.meet (verb)

English Meaning - fulfil, satisfy, come up to, match up to (a need, requirement, or condition).

43.hostage (noun)

English Meaning - a person captured or held as security for the fulfilment of certain conditions/terms.

44.degrade (verb)

English Meaning - reduce, devalue, deteriorate, degenerate.

45.rival (noun)

English Meaning - opponent, combatant, adversary, nemesis, enemy/foe.

46.at the cost of (phrase)

English Meaning - by sacrificing/losing/giving up something.

47.trigger (verb)

English Meaning - stir up, stoke up, instigate , encourage, prompt, rouse, provoke.

48.all-out (adjective)

English Meaning - intense, aggressive, vigorous, powerful.

49.call for (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - require, publicly ask/necessitate, demand.

50.ceasefire (noun)

English Meaning - a negotiated agreement that will be accompanied by other associated commitments to de-escalate the fighting; a temporary stoppage of a war, truce, armistice.

51.weight (noun)

English Meaning - value, importance, significance.

52.administration (noun)

English Meaning - government, regime.

53.arm (verb)

English Meaning - provide/supply with weapons.

54.repeatedly (adverb)

English Meaning - frequently, again and again, invariably, constantly, regularly, consistently.

55.provoke (verb)

English Meaning - annoy, make angry, incense, infuriate; incite, arouse.

56.push someone to the corner (phrase)

English Meaning - to force someone into a difficult or unpleasant situation.