Hezbollah one of 5 superpowers in rocket stockpile: Israeli official

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
29 Jun 2024 17:58

The former economic advisor to the Israeli Chief of Staff says "the Israeli public does not understand the extent of Hezbollah's threats."

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An Israeli flag next to a fire burning in an area in occupied Safad near the border with Lebanon, on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. (AP)

Hezbollah in Lebanon is one of the five superpowers in terms of the number of rockets it possesses, a former Israeli official suggested on Saturday.

Ram Aminach, the former economic advisor to the Israeli Chief of Staff, pointed out that "the Israeli public does not understand the extent of Hezbollah's threats as it has a large stockpile of rockets and is considered one of the five superpowers, alongside the United States, China, Russia, and Germany."

Aminach considered that "Israel" cannot confront Hezbollah without facing the whole of Lebanon.

A couple of days ago, US-based The Media Line news website highlighted that, with tens of thousands of fighters and over 100,000 missiles, Hezbollah poses a "significant military challenge to Israel."

"Hezbollah is an army. It does not have the firepower or sophistication of the Israeli military, but it has the ability to cause significant damage and death," indicated Boaz Shapira, a researcher at the Alma Research and Education Center, as quoted by The Media Line.

The news website added that Hezbollah "has a range of lethal means with which it can challenge Israel, ranging from unsophisticated but deadly mortar shells to highly sophisticated precision-guided missiles."

It cited the Israeli Institute for "National Security" Studies, which estimates that the Lebanese Resistance group possesses about 150,000 missiles and rockets, including simple rockets, precision-guided missiles, ballistic missiles, antitank missiles, cruise missiles, and anti-aircraft missiles.

The Media Line also mentioned that "Hezbollah’s rocket and missile arsenal is believed to be capable of reaching all of Israel."

Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. (res.) Amir Avivi, the co-founder and chairman of the so-called "Israel Defense and Security Forum," made it clear that Israelis "cannot live with the nightmare of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon."