Eye on the Enemy: Six Years on Its Defeat, Nightmare of Hizbullah Occupies "Israel"
As "Israel" marks six years on its humiliating defeat during 2006 agression against Lebanon, nightmare of Hizbullah still occupies the military establishment.
"Israeli" officials painted a bleak picture of a future conflict between "Israel" and Lebanon.
"On the eve of the sixth anniversary of the Second Lebanon War, "IDF" officials expressed grave concern over the future of the relative calm noted on the Lebanese border," "Israeli" military sources told "Ynet".
"Hizbullah "targets bank" has also grown and they are much more diverse now."
They further stressed that "a future conflict will probably entail a massive response by "Israel", including the deployment of ground forces."
According to "Ynet", "Between the Islamist dawn in Egypt, the bloody uprising in Syria and the overall instability in the Middle East, the situation in Lebanon is seen as fairly stable."
However, "IDF" officials warned Thursday that as Hizbullah's grip on the country grows, looks may be deceiving.
"Any escalation can result in rocket fire on central "Israel"," a senior "Israeli" officer cautioned.
He further said that "the next war will be different. We'll have to attack with more force, more violently, to halt any assault of the home front as quickly as possible."
""Israel" is aware that the deployment of ground forces has a serious impact on Hizbullah's launching abilities," he continued.
The official further claimed that "even if we go only after their military infrastructure... There will be a completely different ratio between the explosives used on Lebanon and those used on "Israel"."
In an attempt to assure the already doubtful "Israeli" majority, he said "while any conflict that would bring into play a full-on "Israeli" response could be over within five or six days, we will undoubtedly suffer quite a few casualties, both among "IDF" ranks and in the home front."
"This is why a ground deployment would be a must, he stated.
The report also mentioned that ""Israel" has clear indication that Hizbullah has increased its reconnaissance efforts along the northern border."
"Generally, our policy is not to be the ones to fire first, but once we are fired upon we will react with full force," a senior GOC Northern Command officer said. "We will shoot to kill."
Brigadier-General Harzi Halevy, commander of the "IDF's" Galilee Division, said that "the military is thoroughly and professionally preparing for the possibility of another war; taking into account that the enemy possesses varied fire power and
it is well hidden within civilian society."
"The next war," he predicted, "will see the "IDF" strike with full force. We will have to go inside (Lebanon) and wreak havoc - not as punishment, but because that is where the enemy is."
"A third conflict will see Lebanon suffer more than it did during the second one. We will give the Lebanese army the chance not to be 'the enemy'; but any attack will be met with an offensive, and they will be easier to handle than Hizbullah," Halevy said.
As for the "Israeli" concerns that various advanced weapons are, or will be, making their way from Damascus to Hizbullah, the officer said that "So far, we have yet to see things like surface-to-air missiles find their way from Syria to Hizbullah.
Source: Ynet, Edited by moqawama.org
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