The Lebanese Army discovered missiles and platforms, as per a recent report. Two officials from the Israeli Defense Ministry stated that Israel carried out strikes in Gaza and Lebanon, focusing on Hamas targets to avoid an escalation with Hezbollah. Following the rocket attacks from Lebanon, Hezbollah conveyed messages to Israel through international intermediaries that it had no connection to the assault and was unaware of it in advance. Israeli military intelligence assessments tend to acknowledge Hezbollah’s claim as factual. While the response was being deliberated by Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the IDF and Mossad offered different evaluations of Hezbollah’s potential reaction to Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. Mossad chief David Parnia stated that Hezbollah was likely to respond to any airstrike, and therefore Israel should target the organization and Hamas and Lebanese targets. The Israeli interest is to keep Hezbollah out of the picture, said IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy. Ultimately, the recommendation made at the security cabinet meeting was to concentrate on Hamas. Israeli officials said one of the main topics discussed was the scope of Israel’s response in Lebanon. A broader response to Hezbollah might result in the organization firing precision missiles at Israeli cities, which might escalate into war. All the Ministers voted in favor of the IDF’s recommendation to focus the response on Hamas. The primary objective of the response was to prevent a violent clash with Hezbollah in Lebanon and avoid a union of fronts with Hamas in both locales.
The Lebanese army finds missiles and platforms
Tel Aviv: Hezbollah’s denial has credibility and it is not in everyone’s interest to escalate
Two Israeli Defense Ministry officials said Israel focused its nighttime strikes in Gaza and Lebanon on Hamas targets in a bid to avoid a broader conflict with Hezbollah.
After the rockets were fired from Lebanon on Thursday, Hezbollah relayed messages to Israel through several international intermediaries that it was not part of the attack and had no knowledge of it in advance, according to an Israeli defense official.
The defense official said Israeli military intelligence assessments tend to accept Hezbollah’s claim as factual, according to Axios.
In discussing their response to a barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon on Thursday, Israeli ministers concluded that Israel had no interest in being drawn into a war in Lebanon that risked turning into a regional conflict, Israeli officials said.
Israel blamed Hamas for the rocket fire from Lebanon, and responded with raids on tunnels and weapons-manufacturing sites in Gaza that the Israeli military said were used by the armed group. Then Palestinian militants in Gaza fired dozens of rockets during the night.
Israel also launched rare strikes once morest Hamas targets in southern Lebanon. Hamas did not announce the firing of rockets from Lebanon, but said it holds Israel “fully responsible for the dangerous escalation and blatant aggression once morest the Gaza Strip and the consequences that will befall the region.”
The Israeli army lifted all restrictions on civilian movement in towns and cities close to the borders with both Gaza and Lebanon, a major sign that the situation has calmed down. However, the Israeli military said in a statement that it had called up some reservists, especially from air defense units and the air force.
In deliberations by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ahead of Thursday’s security cabinet meeting, the IDF and Mossad offered differing assessments of what Hezbollah’s response to Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon would be, according to a defense official.
Mossad chief David Parnia said Hezbollah would likely respond to any Israeli airstrike, and therefore Israel should strike the organization, as well as Hamas targets and Lebanese targets, according to the defense official. But IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy said the Israeli interest is to keep Hezbollah out of the equation, and to do that, Israel’s response must remain focused on Hamas, the official said.
Ultimately, Halevy’s position prevailed, the official said, as the recommendation to be made at the security cabinet meeting.
Israeli officials said that one of the main issues discussed during the Israeli security cabinet meeting later in the day was the scope of Israel’s response in Lebanon.
A defense official said security chiefs told the ministers that a broader response to Hezbollah would likely result in the organization firing precision missiles at Israeli cities, which might escalate into war. All the ministers voted in favor of the IDF’s recommendation to focus the response on Hamas.
The main goal of the response was to avoid a violent clash with Hezbollah in Lebanon and prevent a unification of fronts with Hamas in both places, according to Israeli officials. “So far this goal has been achieved,” one of the officials told Axios. Hezbollah officials appear to have downplayed the Israeli airstrikes and refrained from escalating the rhetoric.
Read also
In conclusion, the recent rocket attacks from Lebanon and the subsequent Israeli response have once once more brought the region to the brink of a larger conflict. However, through careful deliberations and a focus on avoiding a broader war with Hezbollah, Israel has managed to contain the situation and prevent further escalation. Mossad and IDF officials had differing views on how to respond to Hezbollah, with the latter’s position ultimately prevailing. It remains to be seen if this delicate situation will continue to be managed effectively and peacefully in the days and weeks to come.