'Israel' in nerve-wracking anticipation for Hezbollah, Iran response

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
8 Aug 2024 11:59

Israeli media highlight the state of anxiety and concern currently being experienced by the Israeli internal front as Iran and Hezbollah prepare for retaliation to Israeli assassinations.

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In this photo released on Friday, January 15, 2021, by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), missiles are launched in a drill in Iran. (Islamic Revolution Guard Corps/Sepahnews via AP)

Israeli media described the scenario of the first days of any attack on occupied Haifa as "terrifying", addressing the threats made by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah regarding the Lebanese Resistance group's anticipated response to the Israeli assassination of one of its top commanders.

Concerns about an escalation have intensified after "Israel" this week assassinated top Hezbollah commander Sayyed Fouad Shokor (Hajj Mohsen) in an airstrike in Haret Hreik, the Southern Suburb of Beirut, hours before it assassinated the head of Hamas' political bureau Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital Tehran.

The media warned that settlers in the Haifa area should prepare for any scenario, attributing the city's attractiveness as a target for Hezbollah to at least three reasons.

These reasons were summarized as follows: Haifa is the third-largest city with a population of 300,000 or more. It has a concentration of strategic facilities including ports, refineries, army camps, security factories, and power stations, and these facilities store large quantities of hazardous materials. The third reason, according to Israeli media, is that Haifa is not prepared for war.

The media revealed that this week it was reported that containers of hazardous materials were emptied in Haifa Bay, with Deputy Mayor Sarit Golan stating that all preparations had been made.

It is noteworthy that in mid-June, the Military Media of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah released footage showing its reconnaissance drones flying over swathes of occupied Palestinian land, including Kiryat Shmona, Nahariya, Safad, Karmiel, Afula, all the way to Haifa and its port.

Titled "This is what the Hoopoe came back with," the nine-minute-and-a-half video captured footage and exposed sensitive Israeli sites.

The Military Media for the Islamic Resistance in #Lebanon published a lengthy video of a reconnaissance drone surveilling vital and sensitive regions in northern occupied #Palestine to Haifa.

🧵1/4 pic.twitter.com/snzuHym3Hn
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 18, 2024

Decoding the footage, experts told Al Mayadeen that Hezbollah's video includes three types of potential targets: military (the Military-Industrial Complex and the Haifa Military Base), civilian (the Krayot area), and strategic (Haifa Port and its facilities).

Touching on the details of the video, the experts explained that the missile illustrated next to the target card has guiding fins at its front, symbolizing a precise missile, which is a message Hezbollah intended to convey in the video.

They noted that the red missile illustrated next to the identification card of Haifa Port indicates that Hezbollah treats this site with a high level of seriousness in terms of potential targeting.

A screen grab from a video published by the Military Media of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon shows the identification card of the Haifa Port.

A scenario more dangerous than October 7

On its part, the Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that the Israeli military along with other entities, conducted an exercise simulating an extreme scenario even more dangerous than what happened on October 7, 2023, referring to the Palestinian Resistance's Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

The newspaper mentioned that the drills took place at the Shura camp (the headquarters of the military rabbinate), the Tziporit camp, and the Home Front Command base, with the participation of the head of the manpower division, the head of the police investigations and intelligence division, Magen David Adom emergency service, ZAKA Rescue Unit, the Ministry of Interior, as well as other bodies.

According to Maariv, the Israeli military focused during the drills on accommodating a large number of bodies following difficulty in identifying the bodies of some Israeli settlers killed on October 7.

Additionally, the Israeli military is working on establishing a system shared by all entities to prevent chaos regarding the accommodation and records of bodies, the newspaper indicated.

Israeli estimates say current time 'not ideal' for a full-scale war

In the wake of heightened Israeli anticipation of a Lebanese and Iranian response following the assassination of Sayyed Shokor and Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, Israeli assessments indicate that the current time is "not ideal" for a full-scale war amid the military losses in the Gaza Strip, imperfect armament conditions, and Hezbollah's readiness.

The Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported that the political establishment is advising the security and military establishments to do everything possible to prevent the situation from escalating into a full-scale war at this time.

It pointed out that despite the concern among the Israeli public, no officials have stepped forward to reassure the Israeli public about the situation, nor has anyone stated where things are headed.

Israel Hayom noted that a week and two days have passed since the assassination of Shokor in Beirut and Haniyeh in Tehran, and "Israel" remains in a state of nerve-wracking anticipation.

The newspaper highlighted that anticipation is part of Hezbollah and Iran's response to "Israel".

Israeli military exhausted

It added that the Israeli military is in an imperfect condition, especially after 10 months of fighting, with 700 troops killed and thousands wounded.

According to Israel Hayom, "The state of armament is also not ideal, which is why the political and security elite in Israel believe that now is not the ideal time to eliminate the threat in the north [of occupied Palestine]."

Another significant factor that cannot be ignored, according to the Israeli newspaper, is the influence of the United States, explaining that with less than three months before its presidential election, the last thing Washington wants now is a wide-scale war that could lead to a broader regional conflict, and perhaps even beyond.

Amir Bohbot, military affairs analyst at the Israeli news website Walla, suggested that the spokesperson for the Israeli military should balance between sending threatening messages to "Israel's" enemies and reassuring messages to calm the Israeli internal front.