(Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs) Yoni Ben Menachem - An ingenious and unprecedented attack against thousands of operatives of the Hizbullah terrorist organization using exploding pagers was carried out in a dozen Hizbullah centers in Lebanon. Writing in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, Hizbullah's mouthpiece, on Sep. 18, Ibrahim al-Amin, a close associate of Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, admits that Israel carried out an "extraordinary" military operation against Hizbullah, due to its intelligence and technological advantage. He claimed that more than 3,000 Hizbullah fighters were wounded. Israeli security sources believe that Hizbullah is preparing for a significant military response, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are taking measures accordingly. Analysts suggest that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, will determine the scope of Hizbullah's retaliation, wary of triggering a broader regional conflict. Since Oct. 7, Iran has taken care to avoid escalating tensions, fearing an Israeli strike on its oil infrastructure or nuclear facilities. This operation has severely damaged Hizbullah's standing, humiliating its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who is now under pressure to restore the group's tarnished image. This successful strike temporarily crippled Hizbullah's command and control infrastructure, dealing a significant blow to its operational capacity and morale. The writer, a veteran Arab affairs and diplomatic commentator for Israel Radio and Television, is a senior Middle East analyst for the Jerusalem Center.
2024-09-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive