"Israel's" Globes website reported on Monday, that the board of directors of Noga - Israel Independent System Operator Ltd,  is considering dismissing its CEO Shaul Goldstein after he warned Thursday that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah could easily knock out "Israel's" electricity grid, plunging the occupation into darkness. 

At the time, he said, "When I took on my role, I started examining what the real threat to the electricity sector is. I asked the following: Suppose a missile hits a power facility, causing a power outage for one hour, two hours, three hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, and so on. What will happen to Israel in such a situation? The bottom line is that after 72 hours, life in Israel would be impossible." 

His comments have drawn sharp criticism from all walks of Israeli life, including Meir Spiegler, the director general of the Israel Electric Corporation. Spiegler condemned Goldstein's statements as "irresponsible, detached from reality, and causing unnecessary panic among the public." He suggested that Goldstein should focus on managing Noga, which has seen a decline since his tenure began.

In the same context, Nesher mayor Roee Levi told Israeli newspaper Maariv that it is necessary to prepare for more than 72 hours without electricity, heading towards "a blackout scenario."

Levi added, "We hear that we are preparing for an extremely difficult scenario, involving the launch of 4,000 missiles on our region daily at least." In such a scenario, "we will not see people going out to repair electricity," and therefore, "we must prepare for at least 72 difficult hours, potentially a week or more."

The repercussions of Goldstein's remarks

Israeli Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen sought to downplay Goldstein's alarming predictions.

"Israel will not be in darkness. The likelihood of such a scenario is low," Cohen stated, emphasizing that the government was preparing for all possible scenarios, conducting discussions and assessments, and has invested billions of shekels to ensure a stable and regular energy supply to all Israeli citizens.

However, Cohen's reassurances did not go unchallenged, as he faced ridicule from Israeli commentators on social media questioning the government's preparedness and transparency on the matter.

Gal Hen, Channel 12's economic affairs commentator, weighed in on the debate, noting that while the electric company is not responsible for the entire electricity market, Goldstein, as the head of Noga, is indeed in a position to understand the threats and vulnerabilities of the sector.

Hen added that both the security and military establishments were well aware of the potential threats to the electricity infrastructure.

Why it matters

Following Goldstein's remarks, "Israel" witnessed a fivefold increase in searches for portable generators on the company's trade site. Additionally, there was a 24% increase in sales at stores compared to the daily average during this period.

Israeli settlers are dealing with the scenario of wide-scale power cuts in settlements as an inescapable fact waiting to happen if Tel Aviv launches a wide-scale aggression on Lebanon. Aerial attacks from Lebanon's Hezbollah are expected to target several vital sectors across occupied Palestine, including the occupation's power grid and generators.

The IOF threatened Lebanon last Tuesday, saying that "operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated."

The senior commanders also decided to "accelerate the readiness of the forces on the ground," according to the military statement.

Hezbollah shows vital Israeli sites to be targeted in case of war

On Sunday, the Military Media of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah released a video showing vital Israeli targets only known to the occupation's security apparatus, suggesting that these sites will be targeted in case of a war against Lebanon.

The video included snippets of Hezbollah's Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's latest speech, in which he warned the Israeli occupation that the Resistance would fight with no restraints or limits if war were imposed on Lebanon. 

"Israel" will regret waging war on Lebanon, he says in the video. 

The HaKirya complex, which includes the headquarters of the Ministry of Security, the general staff, and many of the senior military staff leaders, was also shown. 

A list of the potential targets included in the video: 

• Vital targets in Haifa
• Ashdod port
• Hadera power station
• Ramat David Military Airport in Afula
• Ben Gurion Airport
• Nevatim base
• Oil refineries on the coast
• Satellite area in Yehuda
• Research Center at Dimona Nuclear Reactor

This comes only a few days following the Hoopoe mission, during which Hezbollah gathered 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.

Read more: Lebanon denies Telegraph claims, invites officials for airport tour