(Telegraph-UK) James Rothwell - I entered a vast tunnel, stretching from an opening in the Galilee region of Israel deep into the bowels of the earth. The tunnel, discovered by Israeli forces and promptly sealed off in 2019, was half a mile long, 260 feet deep, and took 14 years to build. It ended in a wall of rubble where the IDF had blocked the pathway leading to Lebanon. Had the tunnel not been discovered, Israel suspects it would have been used to launch a surprise assault on the north, perhaps to capture hostages and take them back to Lebanon. The tunnel offers a glimpse of the type of enclosed, difficult territory Israeli troops will be facing with a possible ground invasion of Lebanon. Israel estimates that the tunnel network stretches for hundreds of kilometers. Hizbullah recently published footage that showed a truck mounted with rocket launchers passing through long, winding tunnels. The propaganda clip also features Hizbullah troops driving on motorcycles through tunnels. In light of a potential ground offensive, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser, said Israel's "biggest mistake" was not taking decisive action against Hizbullah earlier, even prior to the 2006 war. "Israel was addicted to the quietness and was not ready to make any efforts to prevent Hizbullah from building its military capabilities." He said Israel now has two goals: to guarantee Hizbullah won't be able to carry out its own version of Oct. 7 in the future, and to damage Hizbullah's military capability to such an extent that it won't be able to deter Israel in the future.
2024-09-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive