Hezbollah’s Finger in ’Israel’s’ Eye: Tel Aviv is Concerned about Sayyed Nasrallah’s Aerial Equation

By Yahya Dabouq | Al-Akhbar Newpaper | Translated by Al-Ahed News
 
In an unprecedented move, [Israel[ acknowledged its doubts over the superiority of its air force in the skies of Lebanon. Tel Aviv confirmed that it recently received messages that posed a threat to the 'Israeli' Air Force and its freedom of movement. This is putting “a finger in ‘Israel’s’ eye", with the resistance in Lebanon deliberately revealing air defense systems.
 
'Israel' is warning of changing trends in the Lebanese arena, which  place heavy burdens and notable risks on the 'Israeli' Air Force. This will prevent it from maneuvering in Lebanese airspace, whether with warplanes or unmanned drones.
 
It indicated, through the Operations Directorate in the General Staff of the 'Israeli' army, that Hezbollah has recently sent several messages, in which it practically confirmed the equation of the party’s Secretary General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, that the rules of air engagement have changed.
 
The 'Israeli' Walla website quoted sources in the Operations Directorate as saying that Hezbollah has recently been deliberately unveiling air defense systems that it has acquired after it succeeded in recent years in delivering them to Lebanon via Syria.
 
By military standards, this “revelation” is being expressed through operating these systems in a clear and public manner without concealment, as was the case in the past, which spells trouble for the enemy.
 
This new narrative coming from the Operations Directorate, is an expression of an actual “operational concern.” This isn’t just related to intelligence estimates about the “Day of Judgment” – an expression of the upcoming war in 'Israel' – but rather an immediate concern about the prospects of these systems being activated in the pre-war stage, unlike other components that were utilized during incidents between the two sides since the 2006 war.
 
Against this background, the Operations Directorate sees an “escalation” in Hezbollah’s approach on the ground, which is a source of immediate concern that forces the 'Israeli' military establishment to work to thwart it and try to deter any current or future will to activate this type of unprecedented threats from the Lebanese arena. Of course, the mere existence of such systems, even without activation, is considered an operational threat to the 'Israeli' Air Force.
 
According to an 'Israeli' report, with its remarkable title: “A Finger in 'Israel’s' Eye,” there is confirmation that Hezbollah succeeded in obtaining air defense systems sponsored and facilitated by Syria and Iran, including Russian-made SA-8 and SA-17 air defense systems, among others.
 
These systems threaten to disrupt the activity of the 'Israeli' Air Force in Lebanon and are designed to shoot down planes on the “day of command,” which refers to an actual war. The same report suggests that Hezbollah members received practical training on air defense systems inside Syrian territory.
 
Of course, talking about these kinds of threats serves, in part, as a deterrent approach at a time when Tel Aviv sees that the party is facing practical obstacles and internal criticisms that could prevent it from taking the initiative and push it to take actions without proportional responses.
 
Here lies the 'Israeli' paradox between two contradictory approaches: the inside is restraining Hezbollah, with a practical warning that it is being pushed to initiate!
 
In addition to trying to deter Hezbollah, there are attempts to reassure the 'Israeli' public. The report states that “the ‘Israeli’ army and the Ministry of Defense are working to confront the changes in the Lebanese arena through technological developments and innovative work patterns in order to maintain the superiority of the air force and to prepare for the possibility that Hezbollah may try to shoot down a warplane or a drone.” This is an unprecedented admission of doubting the superiority of the enemy's air force in the Lebanese arena, albeit through denial.
 
'Israeli' security officials stressed recently that the 'Israeli' army will not give up its freedom of action in the skies of Lebanon to "gather intelligence information" related to threats, including the missile accuracy project, which has not stopped despite “Israeli” efforts to counter it in recent years.
 
There is no dispute that 'Israel's' "disclosure" of variables that are strategically important and related to the growth of Hezbollah's capacity would bring the party closer to its immediate operational position of harming the 'Israeli' army’s "crown jewel", i.e., the air force. It is also a revelation of a development that cannot be measured by any other variable or threat – even if the enemy tried, according to the report and others, to link this development to threats facing the Lebanese arena that have become at the very least questionable.