Violent Clashes Between Hezbollah and Israel Amid Preparations for Total War in Southern Lebanon
As tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalate, fears of a full-scale war between the two parties are growing. Sources have revealed strong indications suggesting that both sides might enter a large-scale military confrontation due to Hezbollah‘s intensive preparations and Israeli threats of severe strikes.
Strong Indicators
Observers have confirmed that there are strong signs of the possibility of Israel entering a wide-ranging war with its arch-enemy, Hezbollah, especially since recent attacks between the two parties have crossed red lines, raising questions about whether it is possible to return to a calm security situation after months of tension.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah launched the most intense shelling on Israel since the tension between the two parties in October last year. The militia fired more than 100 rockets from areas in southern Lebanon towards the Galilee, according to Israeli army radio. According to Hebrew radio, the rockets fired by Hezbollah reached the city of Tiberias, causing fires in several areas.
For its part, Hezbollah confirmed that the rocket fire targeted Israeli military sites and a military factory in northern Israel, in response to the killing of one of its senior leaders, commander Talib Sami Abdullah, in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the town of Jwaya in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon.
Major Operation
The newspaper “Yediot Aharonot” reported that the Israeli army considers the assassination of Talib Abdullah the most significant since October 7 last year, but has not yet decided to launch a major operation against the Lebanese militia.
The newspaper noted that the Israeli army has not yet reached the point of deciding to expand military operations against Hezbollah, indicating the desire of political and military leaders in Israel not to broaden the scope of the confrontation on the northern front.
The Hebrew report indicated that the estimates of the Israeli army leadership suggest that the Lebanese Hezbollah will maintain an army-against-army equation and continue to focus its attacks on military and security targets, which means the impossibility of a war between the two parties for the time being.
For its part, the newspaper “Maariv” described the Israeli assassinations as “strategic assassinations,” indicating that Talib Abdullah, for example, was more than just a division commander and that the militia would take a long time to find a replacement for him.
The newspaper explained that the commander who will succeed Talib Abdullah will take years to rebuild the strength that his predecessor had, which means that the assassination will disrupt Hezbollah‘s calculations and prevent it from making any decision to escalate on a large scale and engage in open war.
Crossing Red Lines
An informed source sees strong indications suggesting the possibility of Hezbollah and Israel entering an uncontrollable escalation.
The source points out that recent attacks between the two parties have crossed red lines, which increases the likelihood of a large-scale military confrontation.
The source stated that the Israeli army’s targeting of military leaders in Hezbollah represents a stern warning from Tel Aviv about the preparations for a large-scale war against Lebanon, especially with the leaders who were assassinated and their roles in recent attacks against Israel.
The source added that the entry of Hezbollah and Israel into a wide confrontation has become a certainty at present, expecting greater escalation between them in the coming days, which could be an entry point for the start of a war that would be the most violent in the history of the conflict between the two parties.
The source indicated that Hezbollah‘s targeting of strategic military sites represents a blow to Israel that cannot be ignored, which will push military leaders to demand that the political leadership approve operational plans to respond, as part of restoring Israel’s dignity and military stature.
The source concluded that the Israeli army might expand the circle of targets, whether geographically deep into Lebanon or in terms of the nature of the targets and individuals who could be approved for assassination, confirming that Israel and Hezbollah will live in a state of open war.
