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Source: https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-910498
Hizbullah Is Weaker, but Still Possesses Rockets and Drones
(Jerusalem Post) Lt.-Col. (res.) Sarit Zehavi - Israel's pager operation against Hizbullah had two main achievements. The first was psychological. It restored Israel's standing as a security power capable of carrying out operations that had seemed unimaginable or impossible. After Oct. 7, it demonstrated to the region that Israel had recovered and was capable of penetrating its enemies' most sensitive systems. Hizbullah, the strongest militia in the Shi'ite axis, suddenly found itself in deep distress and embarrassment. The second achievement was operational. Thousands of Hizbullah operatives were injured by the pagers and communications devices. But Hizbullah has not disappeared. The large-scale military it built has been severely damaged: its plan to invade the Galilee has been neutralized and its ground forces in southern Lebanon have collapsed. Nevertheless, it still possesses 15,000 rockets and continues to invest in expanding its drone capabilities. Hizbullah is devoting considerable efforts to military reconstruction. It is recruiting and training new operatives, gathering intelligence, and restoring weapons systems. Weapons smuggling from Syria continues, while efforts are also underway to manufacture and repair weapons inside Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Lebanese government and the Lebanese Armed Forces have failed to fulfill their commitment to disarm Hizbullah. The writer, who served for 15 years in the Israel Defense Forces, specializing in military intelligence, is founder and CEO of the Alma Research and Education Center, specializing in security challenges on Israel's northern border.