IOF placed on high alert, fear of Hezbollah retaliation: Israeli media

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
6 Jan 2024 22:57
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Israeli observers are raising concerns about potential escalation if a political resolution is not reached.

Israeli combat reservists and tank forces take part in training drills on the Lebanese front in the occupied Golan Heights, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024 (AP Photo)

After Hezbollah's initial response to the assassination of the Deputy Head of the Political Bureau of Hamas Sheikh Saleh Al-Arouri in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Israeli media reported a state of high alert on the borders with Lebanon, fearing a new retaliation from the resistance.

Israeli broadcaster Kan mentioned that "Israel must openly acknowledge that Hezbollah has achieved an accomplishment by displacing the residents of the north from their settlements."

In turn, the Israeli news website Maariv noted that the possibilities of escalation with Hezbollah "increase if a political solution is not reached."

The website noted that "the dilemma now is that Hezbollah confirmed that the response was initial, and this response seemingly surpasses the boundaries of the sector, which were formed along the northern borders during the last three months."

After the response, Israeli media reported that "Hezbollah presented a multifaceted promotional offer for what would happen if the threat expanded."

Earlier in the day, the Lebanese resistance announced it had successfully targeted one of two IOF Air Traffic Control Bases in northern occupied Palestine, with a barrage of 62 rockets.

The operation was announced as an initial response to the assassination of martyr Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri and his comrades in the Southern Suburb of Beirut.

A statement released by the Resistance said its fighters accurately and successfully targeted the air control base located atop Mount Jarmaq ("Meron"), which constitutes the highest peak in the '48 occupied Palestine.

The targeting of "Meron" by Hezbollah holds the strategic significance of disrupting, or even with later operations potentially hindering, "Israel's" ability to conduct precise military strikes.

It is the sole facility responsible for managing and controlling air operations toward Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and Cyprus, as well as the northern part of the eastern Mediterranean Sea basin.

Moreover, this base acts as a central hub for electronic warfare interference in the mentioned directions, staffed by a significant number of elite Israeli officers and soldiers.