Yonah Jeremy Bob
Jerusalem Post, Sept. 24, 2024
“Hezbollah is far from beaten, and the celebratory proclamations by some Israeli analysts that the danger has passed are highly exaggerated.”
The most prevalent question being asked as the IDF and Hezbollah escalate their attacks on each other without any sign that either side will de-escalate or quickly deal a decisive blow is when or whether the IDF will launch a ground invasion of Lebanon. Until Tuesday of last week, an IDF ground invasion of Lebanon seemed unthinkable and was mostly discussed by coalition government partners to the right of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he made a point of ignoring.
But the playing field has changed radically since last Tuesday, with Israel emerging, so far, much better off in the escalating conflict with Hezbollah than anyone could have dreamed. This could mean an invasion within weeks or even within days.
Thousands of Hezbollah operatives were wounded by explosions of beepers and other electronic devices across Lebanon, many senior and mid-level Hezbollah commanders were killed, and on Monday night, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the IAF had destroyed tens of thousands of Hezbollah rockets within a matter of days.
The IDF’s success against Hezbollah is nowhere near ending the grave threat posed to Israel’s home front by the terrorist group, which has used rocket fire to force much of the northern third of the country, including Haifa, into lockdown since Tuesday night. That being said, Hezbollah has not managed since last week to kill a sizable number of Israelis or damage critical infrastructure, but it has been taking a pounding regarding its strategic weaponry.… [To read the full article, click here]
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