Israel approved plans for an offensive military campaign against the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon as it begins to look to the next phase of its war against Islamic terrorism following the October 7 massacre.
Hezbollah released a video this week that they claimed showed that the group had new, advanced military capabilities — in this case, they figured out how to put a camera on a drone and fly it over Israel.
The leader of Hezbollah, Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, claimed that the terror group had “new weapons” in its arsenal.
“But I won’t say what they are,” he claimed. “When the decision is made, they will be seen on the front lines.”
He also said that if Israel launches an offensive campaign against the group, it will target the European nation of Cyprus for helping Israel and that it will “deliberately target” everything inside Israel.
Hezbollah has already fired more than 5,000 rockets, missiles, and drones at Israel since Hamas’ October 7 massacre more than eight months ago. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been forced out of their homes in northern Israel because of the continued terror attacks from Hezbollah.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said this week that it had approved plans for an offensive campaign in Lebanon to take out Hezbollah.
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“As part of the situational assessment, operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field,” the statement said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned Nasrallah that the IDF will completely destroy Hezbollah if it launches any kind of “all-out war.”
“Nasrallah boasts today about filming the ports of Haifa, operated by international companies from China and India, and threatens to attack them,” Katz said. “We are very close to the moment of decision to change the rules against Hezbollah and Lebanon. In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be severely hit. The State of Israel will pay a price on the front and home fronts, but with a strong and united nation, and the full power of the IDF, we will restore security to the residents of the north.”
Joe Truzman, senior research analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said that Nasrallah’s threats against Israel ignored basic realities that Hezbollah would have to deal with.
“The Hezbollah chief’s inflammatory rhetoric, laced with warnings and threats against Israel (including Cyprus), barely acknowledges a crucial aspect: Israel would retaliate with devastating consequences for Hezbollah and Lebanon,” he said. “The bitter truth is that Nasrallah’s aggressive posturing would ultimately lead to a far greater toll on his side, as Israel would exact a severe price in an all-out war. By hardly recognizing this reality, Nasrallah’s words lose their bite.”
“While a war between Israel and Lebanon would undoubtedly have devastating consequences for both countries, it is important to acknowledge that Hezbollah’s decision to launch an attack on Israel on October 8 was the catalyst for this precarious situation,” he continued. “By initiating hostilities, Hezbollah has set in motion a chain of events that could lead to catastrophic outcomes.”