Accelerated Preparations: What are the Features of a Potential Confrontation Between “Hezbollah” and Israel?

Lebanon Today

A report published by the Hebrew newspaper “Walla” addressed the features of a potential confrontation between Israel and “Hezbollah.”

The report highlights what it described as “systematic preparation” by “Hezbollah” in preparation for a new war, including plans to storm the northern settlements near the border, launch offensive drones, and restore its positions inside Beirut.

The report questions whether the Israeli army will be able to penetrate Beirut and the Bekaa Valley in the event of war, noting the continued Iranian logistical and technical support for “Hezbollah” to enhance its military capabilities.

The report confirms that the Israeli army is exploiting the lull period to strengthen its operations on the northern front, with the aim of preventing “Hezbollah” from rebuilding its capabilities and slowing down the process of reorganizing it for the next war. It points out that “Hezbollah” adopts a policy of “calculated containment,” where it sacrifices tactical elements on the border to maintain its organizational structure and capabilities in the Lebanese depth.

According to figures from the Israeli army, the Northern Command has killed about 330 elements since the beginning of the lull period, including ten from “Hezbollah” during the past two weeks, in addition to dozens of air raids. The 91st Brigade, led by Brigadier General Yuval Gaz, also conducted its largest military exercise since the beginning of the war, including defense and attack operations on land, sea and air, in preparation for a possible battle deep inside Lebanon.

The report explains that “Hezbollah,” as a professional and trained military organization, studies the experiences of previous wars with the help of Iranian advisors, and seeks to develop new threat equations. It quoted Israeli security sources as saying that “Hezbollah received severe blows, but it also achieved achievements that it will try to build on in the next war.”

The report indicates that “Hezbollah” has moved its military centers to the depth of the Bekaa Valley, which means that any upcoming confrontation will require a wide ground and air maneuver inside Lebanon to destroy the missiles and drones launched by the organization. It believes that the Israeli army will have to use greater armored capabilities, advanced tanks, and intensive fire support from the air and land, in addition to improving logistical capabilities and providing mobile protection for field units.

It also indicates that the party retains the option of “ground incursion” into the northern settlements, and although the Israeli army has thwarted some of these plans, “Hezbollah” does not intend to abandon this option.

The report points out that the Israeli army is monitoring Unit 127 of “Hezbollah,” which specializes in operating drones, which has witnessed a remarkable development in its methods of operation and deployment inside Lebanese territory. It says that this confrontation will be a “war of minds” between Israeli defense technologies and the party’s methods of concealment and camouflage, in a complex urban environment.

The report warns that the integration of the party’s headquarters into the Lebanese residential structure and the concealment of its weapons and facilities underground will make it difficult for Israeli intelligence to accurately identify targets. It points out that the wars in Lebanon and Gaza have proven that aerial bombardment cannot be a substitute for ground and engineering operations, which increases the risks to Israeli forces.

The report concludes by emphasizing that maintaining “international legitimacy” for any Israeli military operation will be a decisive factor in its strength and continuity, as the absence of political cover will limit Tel Aviv’s ability to move freely inside Lebanese territory. It adds that the destruction of hundreds of missiles and thousands of shells will cause significant environmental and human damage, which will require Israel to launch a large media and diplomatic campaign to justify its strikes, especially in Beirut, where “Hezbollah” is re-establishing its military and political presence.

The report published in the newspaper “Walla” concludes that the next war between Israel and “Hezbollah,” if it breaks out, will be multi-dimensional and include land, air and intelligence fronts, at a time when regional political considerations are intertwined with the field, making the next confrontation completely different from what preceded it.