IDF forces intercepted a few days ago a drone of Hezbollah which infiltrated Israel air space in Zarit area for the purpose of gathering intelligence.
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah are increasing following the continuation of attacks attributed to Israel in the foreign media on Iranian targets in Syria and on convoys carrying advanced weapons from Iran for Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The statement of chief of staff General Aviv Kochavi who confirmed last week that Israel precisely attacked a truck carrying advanced weapons for Hezbollah in Lebanon were intended to deter Hezbollah and Iran from continuing the phenomenon, his words were intended to show Iran that Israel has accurate intelligence information on all its smuggling to Hezbollah and Syria but it seems that Iran is determined to continue the smuggling activity.
Israel is very worried now from the smuggling of advanced weapons from Iran to Lebanon via civilian flights of the Iranian airline “Mahan Air” to the airport in Beirut.
This company is directly related to the Iranian “Revolutionary Guards”.
The Lebanese government denied the reports that were first published in the “Al-Sharq al-Awast” newspaper, but security officials in Israel confirmed these reports.
Even in southern Lebanon, tensions continue following the attack on UNIFIL forces, during which an Irish soldier was killed and three others were wounded, Hezbollah denied any connection to the incident, but its denials cannot be believed.
Hezbollah continues the policy of “walking on the brink” to show Israel that the signing of the maritime border agreement with Lebanon will not necessarily lead to calm.
It is determined to continue to equip itself with advanced weapons that will arrive from Iran in preparation for a military confrontation with Israel and to maintain its deterrent power against it.
Hezbollah is simply not ready to change the rules of the game that have been used so far.
It seems that Israel’s next test will be on the issue of direct arms smuggling from Iran to Beirut airport.
Israel has previously attacked airports in Syria through which advanced weapons were smuggled from Iran to Syria for Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Iranians switched to the method of smuggling through civil aviation following the effective attacks by the Israeli Air Force on the convoys that transported the weapons by land routes.
Will Israel attack targets at the airport in Beirut to bring about an end to arms smuggling to Hezbollah? The Israeli Air Force can bomb runways at Beirut airport without harming civilians to get the message across.
According to well informed sources, dozens of Iranian pilots are engaged in these smuggling operations through the “Mahan Air” airline. Will, for example, hitting these pilots on Iranian soil by the Israeli Mossad convey the Israeli message regarding the need to immediately stop smuggling for Hezbollah?
What is clear is that the new government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu will be required to make the decisions on this important issue.
Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu said before the last elections that the maritime border agreement with Lebanon would not bind the government he would head, however the Lebanese received American and international guarantees that the agreement would be kept and it seems that Netanyahu will have to come to terms with the agreement.
However, the smuggling of advanced weapons from Iran to Hezbollah through the Beirut airport using civilian airplanes is a very dangerous thing for Israel’s security and the Netanyahu government will have to find a quick and smart way to stop it without leading to a security escalation with Hezbollah.
We must not put up with this phenomenon even at the cost of a military confrontation with Hezbollah, the time has come to attack the entire arsenal of the dangerous weapons that the organization has accumulated since the Second Lebanon War.
