Hezbollah pager explosions highlight shadow war
What did Tuesday’s stunning mass pager strike on the ranks of Hezbollah reveal about Israel’s thinking.
If, as almost all observers believe, Israel was the mastermind?
When official Israeli commentary is lacking, one must be willing to read between the lines to some extent.
I spoke with a former Israeli intelligence official, and he used a Talmudic proverb to explain his hesitation to
comment: “And at this precise time the smart ones keep mute.”
Considering the incredibly daring nature of yesterday’s attack.
It appears that the goal was to severely harm one of Israel’s most dangerous adversaries on a technological, psychological, and physical level.
However, rumors out of Lebanon imply that Israel might not have planned to unleash this apocalyptic weapon at this time.
The “shock and awe” that such an attack would have generated was presumably saved for the worst-case scenario.
Which would have been either Israel preparing to invade Lebanon in large numbers or Hezbollah threatening to strike first.
Neither of these seem to be true, which supports the theory that Israel set off the explosive pagers because it thought its plot had been discovered or was about to be discovered.
Regardless of the facts, Israel is acting, both overtly and covertly.
To counter the threat posed by Hezbollah and its purported arsenal of 150,000 rockets and precision-guided missiles.
Aside from the Israeli military’s regular airstrikes on Hezbollah targets.
Which are all recorded for the media, a shadowy conflict is waging.
Ten days ago, Israeli special forces conducted a daring operation against a Syrian military site created by Iran, where it is suspected that ballistic missile development was taking place.
After descending from helicopters, commandos set bombs within the underground facility and took away confidential documents.
According to other stories, they also took hostages of people who might have been Iranian employees.
Hezbollah’s top military commander Fuad Shukr was killed by Israel six weeks prior.
Nine People Were Killed After Handheld Pagers Used by Hezbollah Members Exploded across Lebanon
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Shukr got a message shortly before the attack telling him to move to his apartment on the seventh floor, where he would be less vulnerable to blows.
Hezbollah angrily refuted the report, but as the dramatic events of yesterday demonstrated.
It appears that Hezbollah’s networks, including its communications and supply chains, are seriously compromised.
Naturally, the organization supported by Iran is making every effort to retaliate.
Launching missiles across Israel’s northern border and occasionally attempting its own secret operations.
Israel announced on Tuesday morning that it has stopped a plot to use a remotely detonated explosive device to kill a former Israeli security official.
Hezbollah has promised to exact revenge for the widespread assault on Tuesday.
Revenge may have to wait, but it will undoubtedly come given the mass bodily mutilation inflicted on its men and the militia’s pressing need to locate and address this grave security breach.
Which brings up a crucial query: what has actually changed, if anything? Israel continues its overt and covert fight with Hezbollah.
Which was Israel’s recently proclaimed war goal, has not progressed.
The military does not seem ready to attack southern Lebanon, despite a lot of fervent conjecture in this country.
That might occur at some point. After over a year of unrest in the north, Israelis are completely tired of the situation.
However, Israel is still engaged in combat in Gaza; on Tuesday, news of the deaths of four more soldiers was released.
The idea of yet another significant ground operation is met with resistance.According to a Channel 13 News opinion survey, 52% of Israelis supported a. “Wide scale war in Lebanon,” 30% were against, and 18% were unsure.
For all Israel’s displays of tactical ingenuity, when it comes to dealing with Hezbollah. It’s hard to see exactly where this simmering conflict is heading next.
