Hezbollah does what it wishes, settlers unprotected: Settlement chiefs

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
9 Jul 2023 20:02
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The heads of the settlements in the north of occupied Palestine are warning of a possible war with Hezbollah.

Lebanese wave Hezbollah and Palestinian flags, as they stand in front of the Israeli settlement of "Metula", background, on the Lebanese side of the Lebanese-Palestinian border in the southern village of Kfar Kila, Lebanon, May 15, 2021 (AP)

The heads of the Israeli settlements in northern occupied Palestine are gravely concerned about a possible war with Hezbollah, which they say does as it wishes, according to Israeli media.

The heads of the settlements are terrified of a battle with Hezbollah, as they highlight that there is a lack of fortifications needed by the settlers.

"The situation imposed on us last year was a situation we were not familiar with. Hezbollah violated all agreements regarding the borders of the area," said Moshi Davidocivh, the head of the "Matter Asher" regional council.

"Katyusha rockets were launched, tents were erected, and on Wednesday, Hezbollah members attempted to hinder the activities of the Israeli army," the Israeli official added.

"The most important thing at the present time is to understand that Israel has been violated on the northern borders, and what we currently lack is the security of our residents in the form of suitable shelters for the people of the north, that is, fortification," Davidovich said. "The question is not whether war will break out, but rather when."

"What we are witnessing today is the of agreements, most notably the Security Council Resolution 1701," said David Azoulay, the head of the "Metula" local council.

"We see Hezbollah members on the fence, and we see what they are doing with weapons. We see them daily. What are my main concerns? That Hezbollah continues its work and does what it did between 2000 and 2006, and that's what they're doing today," the Israeli official added.

This comes amid fear of Hezbollah's growing military capabilities, as well as the fear of any ongoing war and the Israeli occupation's unpreparedness for it amid its successive internal crises.

Israeli media reported that "Hezbollah's growing power over the past 17 years is the biggest failure in Israel," noting that "no one has succeeded in addressing it."

Yedioth Ahronoth's military affairs correspondent, Yossi Yehoshua, said, "Although there are many in the Israeli army who believe that Hezbollah does not want war, it is clear to everyone that the possibility of that now is the highest since the Second Lebanon War, which this week marks the 17th anniversary of its launch."

"The probability of war with Hezbollah has risen, and it is at its highest since 2006, according to the Intelligence Section, as a result of many reasons, most notably the examination of the weak relations between Israel and Washington, and the internal rift," he added.

There will be a war "the likes of which the home front has never known," he underlined, stressing that the matter "will not be another round in Gaza."

The Yedioth Ahronoth correspondent also stressed the necessity of "stopping judicial legislation and demonstrations and preparing for this major incident, as the weak points are very clear to Hezbollah, and it is exploiting them."

"Hezbollah has intelligence, and everything is exposed," pointing out that "its upswing, over a period of 17 years, is the biggest failure in Israel, and no one has dealt with it," Yehoshua said.

This is not the first time that "Israel" announces its unpreparedness to face Hezbollah in any upcoming war. In 2021, Israeli media quoted Israeli reserve forces Major General, Yitzhak Brick, as saying that "the Israeli army is not ready for a multifront war" and that "Israel" is on the verge of losing it.

Brick, who had been criticizing the readiness of the Israeli occupation forces for years, said his words were "not a prophecy of anger, this is the real truth," stressing that the next war will be internal.