Israeli diplomat: This is what the party can do to us in 3 days
Hezbollah is believed to have established a network of tunnels under Lebanese territory, which Israeli analysts describe as more extensive than those used by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
This raises the question of what Hezbollah can do against Israel using these tunnels.
Unlike Gaza, which lacks direct geographic links with its backers in Tehran, Iran has built land and air supply routes leading to Lebanon via Iraq and Syria.
These methods could be used to support Hezbollah forces in the event of an all-out war with Israel, according to Amy McKinnon, a correspondent for the magazine specializing in intelligence and national security.
Although Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip has attracted the world’s attention for more than 8 months, another front is burning along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Lebanese Hezbollah launched a major rocket attack on Israel last week in response to an Israeli airstrike that killed one of its senior leaders.
This escalation has raised fears that the conflict could spiral out of control.
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, fired thousands of rockets, anti-tank projectiles and drones into Israel, while the Israeli Air Force responded with thousands of airstrikes.
This violent exchange has displaced some 140,000 people from both sides of the border.
Although US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that Israel and Hezbollah weren’t seeking a full-scale war, McKinnon said in her report that the situation could escalate further.
In a related context, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned that his country would destroy Hezbollah and deal strong blows to Lebanon in the event of an all-out war.
Foreign Policy commented on Katz’s statement that Israel, too, would suffer significant destruction if war broke out.
The magazine quoted the Center for International and Strategic Studies in Washington as saying that Hezbollah is stronger and more armed than Hamas, and is considered the most heavily armed non-state actor in the world, having developed an advanced arsenal with the help of Iran, Syria and Russia.
Diplomat Michael Oren, who served as Israel’s ambassador to the United States during President Barack Obama’s tenure, asserted that Hamas poses a tactical threat to Israel, while Hezbollah is a strategic threat.
It’s estimated that Hezbollah possesses about 130,000 rockets and missiles capable of bypassing Israeli air defense systems and targeting its largest city.
Oren described these estimates as terrifying and suggestive of what Hezbollah could do in three days.
“You’re talking about targeting all of our essential infrastructure, from oil refineries to air bases and even the Dimona nuclear research facility in Israel”.
