The cease-fire agreement with Lebanon presents Israel with significant intelligence and operational challenges to prevent Hezbollah’s military recovery and reestablishment in southern Lebanon.
According to senior security officials, Sheikh Naim Kassem, the new Secretary General of Hezbollah, is in Israel’s crosshairs and it will work to eliminate him.
In their estimation, his appointment was made under Iranian pressure on the Hezbollah leadership to show that the organization recovers and controls the situation after the severe blows it received from Israel.
According to sources in Lebanon, Hezbollah is currently governed by a temporary “collective leadership” following the assassination of its Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah, by Israel.
The organization has yet to choose a successor, as the leadership is wary of further Israeli attacks.
Since the onset of the war, Hassan Nasrallah has made a series of strategic miscalculations that have significantly weakened Hezbollah and harmed the people of Lebanon.
His reputation as a wise and effective leader has been severely tarnished in Lebanon and across the Arab world, eroding his credibility and leaving him viewed as a failure.
The assassination of Ibrahim Akil, head of Hezbollah’s operations department and commander of the “Radwan” force, represents a significant intelligence and operational achievement in the ongoing battle of wits between Israel and Hezbollah.
A senior Israeli official noted that Israel has the capability to assassinate Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s Secretary General, though this remains a decision for the political leadership.
Hezbollah is preparing for an expansion of the conflict on the northern border following Defense Minister Yoav Galant’s statement indicating that the focus of the war is gradually shifting from the Gaza Strip to the northern front. The return of tens of thousands of Israeli evacuees to their homes along the northern border hinges on altering the existing rules of engagement with Hezbollah and establishing a stronger deterrence.
Iran has threatened to destroy Israel if it initiates an all-out war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In the Israeli security system, this Iranian threat is taken seriously. While not new, it appears Iran is closer to deciding on entering a regional war, a step it has avoided until now.
Intelligence sources in Israel estimate that Iran may attack Israel if a significant military conflict arises between Hezbollah and Israel, fearing a decisive blow to Hezbollah.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are preparing Shia militias to move from Iraq to Lebanon to support Hezbollah.
Great pessimism prevails in Israel following political meetings with Amos Hochstein regarding the possibility of achieving a ceasefire in Lebanon. The prevailing assessment in Israel is that a war with Hezbollah is inevitable.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recommend that the political leadership conclude the military operation in Rafah promptly and refocus on the confrontation with Hezbollah on the northern border.
Israel is acting cautiously, intending to let the Biden administration exhaust all political avenues with Lebanon.
The administration is also keen on achieving a political settlement in southern Lebanon to avert a war that could significantly impact President Biden’s election campaign.
The cease-fire agreement with Lebanon presents Israel with significant intelligence and operational challenges to prevent Hezbollah’s military recovery and reestablishment in southern Lebanon.
According to senior security officials, Sheikh Naim Kassem, the new Secretary General of Hezbollah, is in Israel’s crosshairs and it will work to eliminate him.
In their estimation, his appointment was made under Iranian pressure on the Hezbollah leadership to show that the organization recovers and controls the situation after the severe blows it received from Israel.
According to sources in Lebanon, Hezbollah is currently governed by a temporary “collective leadership” following the assassination of its Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah, by Israel.
The organization has yet to choose a successor, as the leadership is wary of further Israeli attacks.
Since the onset of the war, Hassan Nasrallah has made a series of strategic miscalculations that have significantly weakened Hezbollah and harmed the people of Lebanon.
His reputation as a wise and effective leader has been severely tarnished in Lebanon and across the Arab world, eroding his credibility and leaving him viewed as a failure.
The assassination of Ibrahim Akil, head of Hezbollah’s operations department and commander of the “Radwan” force, represents a significant intelligence and operational achievement in the ongoing battle of wits between Israel and Hezbollah.
A senior Israeli official noted that Israel has the capability to assassinate Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s Secretary General, though this remains a decision for the political leadership.
Hezbollah is preparing for an expansion of the conflict on the northern border following Defense Minister Yoav Galant’s statement indicating that the focus of the war is gradually shifting from the Gaza Strip to the northern front. The return of tens of thousands of Israeli evacuees to their homes along the northern border hinges on altering the existing rules of engagement with Hezbollah and establishing a stronger deterrence.
Iran has threatened to destroy Israel if it initiates an all-out war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In the Israeli security system, this Iranian threat is taken seriously. While not new, it appears Iran is closer to deciding on entering a regional war, a step it has avoided until now.
Intelligence sources in Israel estimate that Iran may attack Israel if a significant military conflict arises between Hezbollah and Israel, fearing a decisive blow to Hezbollah.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards are preparing Shia militias to move from Iraq to Lebanon to support Hezbollah.
Great pessimism prevails in Israel following political meetings with Amos Hochstein regarding the possibility of achieving a ceasefire in Lebanon. The prevailing assessment in Israel is that a war with Hezbollah is inevitable.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) recommend that the political leadership conclude the military operation in Rafah promptly and refocus on the confrontation with Hezbollah on the northern border.
Israel is acting cautiously, intending to let the Biden administration exhaust all political avenues with Lebanon.
The administration is also keen on achieving a political settlement in southern Lebanon to avert a war that could significantly impact President Biden’s election campaign.
