Experts decode messages in Hezbollah's Hoopoe mission video: Exclusive
4 Min Read
Expert sources tell Al Mayadeen that the timing of the video release is undoubtedly linked to the visit of US envoy Amos Hochstein to Lebanon on a mission "of Israeli nature."
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A screengrab from a video published by the Military Media of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah showing its reconnaissance drones flying over swathes of occupied Palestinian land (Islamic Resistance in Lebanon Military Media)
Hezbollah's video ended with the phrase "and the birds as they soar," which suggests that the Lebanese Resistance group's drones are still flying in the airspace of occupied Palestine, expert sources told Al Mayadeen on Tuesday.
Earlier, the Military Media of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah released Tuesday 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. Hezbollah highlighted that its drones bypassed Israeli air defenses and returned to Lebanese airspace without being detected.
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.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 18, 2024
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The sources said that the Hoopoe of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon appears flying over the most sensitive installations, not just the Haifa military base.
They highlighted that one of the most important things documented by the Hoopoe is the area of ​​the military-industrial complex affiliated with the Rafael Company, which is an extremely sensitive area.
The sources explained that companies and websites specialized in aerial and industrial imaging refrain from publishing any updated images at the request of the Israeli government due to their sensitivity.
In the same context, the 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).
They added that the three types of potential targets are meant to establish a three-dimensional balance of deterrence against "Israel", with each dimension relating to the type of target "Israel" may strike in any confrontation with Lebanon.
"Hezbollah wanted to say that [the equation is] military for military, civilian for civilian, and strategic for strategic," the sources pointed out.
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.
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A screen grab from a video published by the Military Media of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah shows the identification card of Haifa Port.
According to the experts, this video is only the first episode in a series yet to come, with subsequent episodes showing how far the Resistance's reconnaissance drones have reached inside occupied Palestinian airspace.
Elsewhere, the sources told Al Mayadeen that the timing of releasing the video is undoubtedly linked to the visit of US envoy Amos Hochstein to Lebanon on a mission "of Israeli nature" even if it appears as part of a mediation effort.
Earlier, Hochstein called for an immediate de-escalation of tensions on the northern border between Lebanon and "Israel".
Hezbollah's video unveiled dozens of 'super vital' targets
Major General Wasif Arikat described what Hezbollah revealed in the latest video as the "most valuable bank of targets."
He told Al Mayadeen that the message behind the video has been received, adding that what is happening now is not a field war but a war of awareness that proved that the Israeli occupation army, once described as the "invincible army", has been defeated and retreated.
On his part, Brigadier General Mohammad Abbass said that Hezbollah's drones surpassed all air defense systems and returned without being detected by Israeli systems.
He highlighted to Al Mayadeen that the video unveiled dozens of "super vital" targets, demonstrating that the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon possesses highly advanced capabilities.
Brigadier General Abbass further explained that the name "Hoopoe", which is a type of bird, reflects the long distance that Hezbollah's drones traveled in occupied Palestinian lands before returning with such valuable scenes.
Israeli media described what Hezbollah's drones documented as "disturbing" and "very dangerous".
Read more: Hezbollah drone surveys attack on Israeli base in a first (footage)
