“Israel” Details the Dilemma of Responding to Lebanon’s Anti-Tank Missile: Hezbollah Challenging Us

Translated from Hebrew media

The past week should have laid any doubts to rest as it demonstrated the complexity of the security situation in “Israel”.

On Saturday, “Israel” reportedly carried out an attack in Syria, during which a surface-to-air missile was fired at planes belonging to the “Israeli” Air Force.

The missile exploded and scattered over “Israel”. Meanwhile, the “Israeli” army launched an operation in Jenin that lasted 48 hours, at the end of which missiles were fired from Gaza.

 On Thursday, an anti-tank missile was fired from Lebanon at “Israel”, and a few hours later an “Israeli” soldier was killed in an attack near the “Kedumim” settlement.

 All of these incidents are serious and worrying, but Thursday’s anti-tank fire should disturb decision-makers. Officially, no one claimed responsibility for firing the projectile from Lebanon. It is also not clear how many people in the region possess such weapons.

News was circulating about an attack on “Israel” by around 10 a.m. that day after foreign media reported that mortar shells were fired from an area in the town of Al-Ghajar.

The “Israeli” army was quick to deny it at first, then announced an explosion behind the border fence. About an hour and a half after the incident, the “Israeli” army changed its position and admitted to finding remnants of munitions in the area.

A few hours later, an examination of the shrapnel found in the area identified it as an anti-tank missile. A part of it fell near the fence and some of it had fallen inside “Israeli” territory.

The understanding in Tel Aviv that Hezbollah is trying to pull the strings and conduct a confrontation with “Israel” below the threshold of war is further proof that “Israel” is deterred and afraid of a confrontation with Hezbollah at the present time.

The firing of missiles at Lebanon indicates an “Israeli” desire to show that it did what it had to do and responded, as it is clear that “Israel” is not satisfied with this type of response to the launches from Gaza and even from Syria.

However, it is clear to decision-makers that a harsh response will draw Hezbollah into retaliation, and this could lead the two sides to a drawn-out fight. The fact that “Israel” did not remove the tent set up by Hezbollah on the “Israeli” side of the border also indicates a loss of deterrence.

In “Israel”, they made it clear that an attempt was made to solve the problem diplomatically, although in the Middle East, this is interpreted as weakness.

The “Israeli” security structure … realizes that “Israel” will pay a heavy price in the event of a confrontation with Hezbollah. In light of the current situation, Hezbollah’s self-confidence is on an upward trajectory and the organization finds new ways to challenge “Israel”.

The “Israeli” position that [Sayyed] Hassan Nasrallah is not interested in a confrontation with “Israel” remains the same. However, the understanding in Tel Aviv is that Hezbollah is trying to pull the strings to the limit and conduct a confrontation with “Israel” without reaching the threshold of war, even when it is clear that a single measure might be enough to ignite the entire region and lead the parties to a real war.