Lebanon a vortex that swept us in before: Israeli general to Economist
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Several statements by Israeli generals, as quoted by The Economist, highlight the lack of progress and declining morale within Israeli forces during their confrontations with Hezbollah.
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Fires and smoke rise from houses in the northern Palestinian border town of Metulla, hit by Hezbollah shelling, as seen from the Lebanese town of Marjayoun, Lebanon, on June 22, 2024. (AP)
An Israeli reserve officer who was called up to fight in the North against Hezbollah confirmed, “We don’t have enough men or tanks to carry out a large operation in Lebanon,” according to what was reported by The Economist.
Tamir Hayman, a former Israeli general, issued a stark warning, stating that Lebanon is "a vortex that has swept us in before," as quoted by the magazine.
The magazine highlighted concerns among the force, noting that "some complain about the Israeli forces' lack of sufficient manpower," adding that, "To maintain its current level of deployment, the IDF has had to call up tens of thousands of reservists, many of whom have served three lengthy stints of duty since October 7th."
In the same context, the former commander of the Northern Corps in the Israeli army, Major General Noam Tivon warned that Hezbollah "is continuing the war of attrition."
Speaking to "Israel's" Channel 13, Tivon acknowledged that the martyrdom of Hezbollah's leader "does not mean that the residents of the north can return," signaling that the threat remains even with the potential loss of key Hezbollah figures.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, in an interview with Channel 12, acknowledged that Hezbollah "possesses tens of thousands of missiles, including heavy ones." He also noted that "many of the party's experienced fighters are currently engaged in battles along the Lebanese-Palestinian border."
The channel's political affairs analyst, Ari Shavit, described Lebanon as a "sinking quagmire (for Israel)," emphasizing the need for a regional strategy and political agreement.
Hezbollah's Resistance fighters have reported multiple successful operations against Israeli forces, delivering a significant blow to their repeated attempts to infiltrate Lebanon's southern border.
Hezbollah officer debunks Israeli advancement claims
Earlier on Friday, after the Israeli military command released a set of photos and footage from Lebanese border towns, claiming to have advanced into the villages, eliminated Resistance fighters, and captured weaponry, a Hezbollah officer has debunked these fragile claims.
"The photos released by the Israeli enemy's military of its soldiers near the homes of a Lebanese border village in South Lebanon were taken in a geographic area only tens of meters away from occupied territories (the Palestinian-Lebanese border)," the officer said in a statement released by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon's Military Media Unit. The photos showed residential areas, which have been built near the border in almost every border village in Lebanon, as a show of resilience against the occupying Israeli regime.
Moreover, the officer stressed that capturing such photos is of utmost importance for the Israeli government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli military suffered heavy casualties during failed incursion attempts into South Lebanon. However, yet again, the Israeli military paid a heavy price for its attempts to boost morale, as confrontations in the same area killed and injured more than 20 Israeli special forces troops, the Hezbollah officer explained.
