Hezbollah fire imposes lowering IOF demands in talks: Israeli media
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Israeli occupation officials from military and political establishments warn of dwindling leverage and high IOF casualties amid Hezbollah's strengthening position and rockets stockpile, as the winter threat looms.
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A screengrab of a video showing the preparations of missiles by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon to be launched toward occupied Palestine in a video released in November 2024. (Military Media)
Israeli occupation Reserve Major General Israel Ziv, former head of the Operations Directorate, warned that "Israel will be operating on limited munitions if a settlement [with Lebanon] is not reached," adding, "Winter is approaching, and it’s not in Israel's interest to get bogged down in Lebanon."
The Israeli general noted that "Hezbollah is regaining strength, which means Israel’s leverage in any political agreement is dwindling. What Israel could achieve yesterday, it can no longer achieve today or tomorrow." Moreover, he stressed, "Netanyahu is very weak and paralyzed when it comes to the Americans."
Ziv also admitted, "Unless Hezbollah is granted certain concessions or achievements, it will have no interest in a settlement, and we won’t have anyone left to negotiate with," adding that "Naim Qassem will not declare surrender—that won’t happen, just as it didn’t happen with Hamas."
"Israel is paying a heavy price, and the battlefield won’t wait for Trump," Ziv explained, before concluding that "in three months (by the time Trump is officially inaugurated), any military gains may be lost."
Hezbollah has 'considerable stockpile of weapons'
On her part, Israeli occupation strategic advisor Ayelet Frisch acknowledged that "Hezbollah is recovering over time and still has a considerable stockpile of missiles, a significant portion of which are precision-guided."
In an interview for Channel 12, she stated, "We must work toward a settlement, rather than, as the Defense [Security] Minister said, aiming to disarm Hezbollah."
Commenting on the statement of the Israeli occupation's Security Minister Israel Katz, which noted that Tel Aviv seeks to disarm Hezbollah, the Israeli advisor said, "This will not happen, nor will there be any occupation [of Lebanese territories]."
Israeli settlers will continue going to shelters in the millions
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that "Hezbollah has enough missiles to send millions of Israeli settlers to shelters daily."
In the report, the newspaper emphasized that this capability "erodes Israeli resolve" and "will reduce Israel’s demands in negotiations."
It also noted that "Hezbollah’s drones successfully evade [IOF] combat helicopters and fighter jets, avoiding interception," reminding that "much remains to be done regarding the issue of rocket launch platforms."
IOF paying hefty price
At the same time, the newspaper underlined that Israeli occupation soldiers are paying a "hefty price" in human casualties while attempting to "break through Hezbollah’s second line of defense, where it has fortified positions, deployed fighters, and studied operational tactics."
The report noted that "those fortified along the second line of defense in villages have monitored Israeli forces, studied their tactics, and organized Resistance troops in the houses of villages where the Golani Brigade entered yesterday."
As a result, the report added, "a battle erupted at one site within a group of buildings where Hezbollah ambushed Israeli soldiers. The battle lasted several hours, resulting in the deaths of six soldiers from the 51st Battalion and injuries to several others."
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