IDF requesting go-ahead to start decisive action against Hezbollah, which military believes won’t trigger all-out war.
By World Israel News Staff
Senior Israeli army officials are asking the political echelon to give them the go-ahead to strike Hezbollah – even if that move would escalate already high tensions with the Lebanese terror group.
Following the assassinations of Hamas politburo head Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukar in Beirut almost two weeks ago, Israel has been girding for retaliatory attacks from Iran and Hezbollah.
But while some Israeli intelligence officials believe that Iran may be rethinking an attack on Israel, due to international pressure, the same is not true for Hezbollah, according to a Mako report.
The IDF has extensive plans for operations against Hezbollah for a number of scenarios, which the military believes could cripple the terror group’s capabilities without triggering an all-out war.
However, the military acknowledges that these strikes would likely lead to an increase, albeit temporarily, in Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel.
After ten months of non-stop rocket, missile, and UAV fire, tens of thousands of residents of northern Israel remain displaced by the attacks.
Numerous groups representing evacuated northern residents are pushing the government to launch a decisive military offensive against Hezbollah, rather than pursuing a diplomatic agreement to end the hostilities.
Arab leaders are reportedly attempting to persuade Hezbollah to scale back its potential response against Israel, or delay it indefinitely.
According to a report from the Lebanese Al-Jadid outlet, unidentified Arab officials contacted Hezbollah and asked the terror group to avoid attacking Israel before August 15th, when Israel is set to resume Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal negotiations with Hamas.
Notably, Hezbollah refused to acknowledge the request, and did not commit on holding off on a response until after that date.
“No matter where the [Gaza ceasefire] negotiations lead, it’s not relevant to Hezbollah’s response to the Beirut assassination,” a Hezbollah source told Lebanese media. “That’s another issue.”
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