close
close
hsuses

Hezbollah’s biggest ‘retaliatory attacks’ – The Jerusalem Post

Theo

Hezbollah launched several attacks on Israel on Thursday morning. They began around 10 a.m. and continued throughout the day, mostly using drones. Drones have become one of Hezbollah’s main weapons since Hezbollah decided to attack Israel after October 7.

Hezbollah claimed through Iranian media that it had “fired a barrage of rockets at several Israeli military positions in response to the regime’s killing of one of its commanders in southern Lebanon.” Hezbollah said it had “attacked five Israeli military positions, including the Golan Division headquarters with 100 Katyushas, ​​as well as Israel’s air and missile systems at the Nafah base,” Iran’s IRNA news agency reported.

Hezbollah says this is retaliation for Israel’s killing of Muhammad Nimah Nasser, known as “Hajj Abu Naameh,” on Wednesday. He is the second senior Hezbollah commander killed in the past month. Another was killed on June 12. Hezbollah responded in June by firing up to 215 rockets and missiles into northern Israel.

Hezbollah MPs have announced that retaliation against Israel will increase. “Hassan Fadlallah (a Lebanese MP for Hezbollah) stressed that Hezbollah will impose a punitive response and the enemy must realize that the resistance front has the upper hand,” IRNA reported. Hezbollah continues to warn Israel against a major military operation in Lebanon. Iran has also warned against an escalation of the war.

It is clear that Iran and Hezbollah do not want a major war, as Iran wants to keep Hezbollah alive to use against Israel. Hezbollah has achieved many of its objectives in nine months of offensive activity. It has depopulated areas in northern Israel, including Kiryat Shmona, which Hezbollah considers an unprecedented “success.”

Hezbollah activists (Source: REUTERS)

A recent article by Iranian state media IRNA, which echoes Hezbollah’s claims, says that Israelis who left the north in October because of the attacks have become “refugees” in hotels in Israel. This is the plan of Iran and Hezbollah. Their plan does not include a major war because they are worried about the damage Hezbollah could suffer.

The true message of Hezbollah

Hezbollah’s message is clear from its attacks. It used drones in many incidents between 10 a.m. and noon on Wednesday, targeting an increasingly large area between the Sea of ​​Galilee and Metulla. This included numerous sirens in the Golan Heights and also in the Huleh Valley, as well as communities overlooking the Huleh Valley such as Shamir and Gonen. Katzrin in the Golan Heights was also affected. At 11:23 a.m., the area of ​​Hezbollah attacks expanded, now targeting Nahariya, as well as communities along the coast and further inland.

Hezbollah’s message is clear. It has a large enough arsenal of drones and missiles to carry out targeted attacks. It is using drones more and more frequently because they can be precise and effective, and because they can also set off sirens over large areas. This allows Hezbollah to achieve a diverse list of what it considers “successes.”

It can target and force civilians into shelters. Hezbollah often relies on the Israeli media to reinforce its sense of success, and sometimes tries to launder news through foreign media and spread its own “success” through Al-Mayadeen to make its claims seem more credible.

The point is that Hezbollah’s claims alone do not make them true, but it believes they will appear more accurate if it can get others to repeat its claims. Therefore, attacks in retaliation for the commander’s killing will also increase online and in the media. For example, Al-Mayadeen reported that Israeli newspaper Haaretz said that “difficult days” were ahead in Lebanon following the killing of Nasser. It remains to be seen whether Hezbollah is actually up to something like this at the moment or whether the retaliation will subside after one day.



Related Posts