The IDF launched a pre-emptive operation early this morning in southern Lebanon after receiving intelligence that Hezbollah planned a large-scale attack on Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Fuad Shukr, the organization’s chief of staff.
Hezbollah’s official statements confirmed that this attack was part of their promised response. Although the intended attack was thwarted, Hezbollah still fired more than 320 rockets at Israel, which Hezbollah described as only the first phase of their response and claimed as a success. The attacks primarily targeted military sites mostly in the north, allowing for the launch of UAVs toward the interior of the country. Hezbollah’s statement hides more than it reveals:
1. It hides the organization’s failure to hit targets in the center of Israel.
2. Following this failure, Hezbollah has intentionally created uncertainty about its next steps in response to Shukr’s assassination, intended to keep Israel on edge.
At this point, it’s not clear whether Hezbollah will be satisfied with this response or if they will attempt another large-scale attack in the future. However, it is likely that the organization will continue its limited war of attrition in the north, which has been ongoing for the past ten months. Hezbollah links this conflict to the war in Gaza and insists that it will persist until a ceasefire is achieved in the south.
The IDF launched a pre-emptive operation early this morning in southern Lebanon after receiving intelligence that Hezbollah planned a large-scale attack on Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Fuad Shukr, the organization’s chief of staff.
Hezbollah’s official statements confirmed that this attack was part of their promised response. Although the intended attack was thwarted, Hezbollah still fired more than 320 rockets at Israel, which Hezbollah described as only the first phase of their response and claimed as a success. The attacks primarily targeted military sites mostly in the north, allowing for the launch of UAVs toward the interior of the country. Hezbollah’s statement hides more than it reveals:
1. It hides the organization’s failure to hit targets in the center of Israel.
2. Following this failure, Hezbollah has intentionally created uncertainty about its next steps in response to Shukr’s assassination, intended to keep Israel on edge.
At this point, it’s not clear whether Hezbollah will be satisfied with this response or if they will attempt another large-scale attack in the future. However, it is likely that the organization will continue its limited war of attrition in the north, which has been ongoing for the past ten months. Hezbollah links this conflict to the war in Gaza and insists that it will persist until a ceasefire is achieved in the south.