Small Wars Journal

Hezbollah’s Attack Tunnels are Just Part of Israel’s Concerns in North

Tue, 12/04/2018 - 9:11am

Hezbollah’s Attack Tunnels are Just Part of Israel’s Concerns in North by Yaakov Katz - Jerusalem Post

The IDF operation, launched on Tuesday to uncover and destroy cross-border attack tunnels Hezbollah has dug into Israel, is just one of the reasons for the rise in tensions in recent weeks along Israel’s northern border.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s surprise trip Monday night to Brussels to meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was said to have been about Israeli concerns regarding Hezbollah’s military buildup in Lebanon. It was, and that briefing included talk about the tunnels and the threat they pose to Israeli civilians. Netanyahu smartly wanted to update the Americans before the operation began.

For now, Military Intelligence does not predict that a conflict will erupt with Hezbollah due to the operation and for that reason has instructed residents of the North to continue with their regular routine. The reason is that for now, the operation is taking place completely on the Israeli side of the border and is defensive in nature. As a result, even if it wants to, Hezbollah would have difficulty justifying an attack against Israel…

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