While the eyes of the world are on the Iranian scene in anticipation of the possible Israeli response after the massive (and failed) Iranian attack on Saturday night, during which some 300 drones and missiles were launched into Israel, Israel is taking advantage of the opportunity to establish a more aggressive response equation with Iran’s central proxy, Hezbollah.
This was expressed on Tuesday, after Hezbollah carried out an attack by two explosive drones at Beit Hillel in the northern Galilee. Hezbollah claimed to have hit Iron Dome batteries – a claim denied by the IDF, which claimed no damage, except for three wounded. The failure of the terrorist attack did not prevent the IDF from responding almost immediately with strong force, dozens of kilometers to the west – when near the city of Tyre an Israeli drone attacked a vehicle in which Ismail Yusuf Baz, a senior commander of the terrorist organization in this sector (with a rank equivalent to that of a brigade commander), was driving, and killed in the attack.
In the hours that followed, Hezbollah fired sporadic rockets at various towns in the north, and shortly afterwards the IDF carried out another air strike against vehicles traveling in al-Shahabya in southern Lebanon, killing three more terrorists – including Hussein Mustafa Shahuri, commander of the rocket unit in the western sector of the Radwan Force. The force is responsible for Hezbollah’s offensive missions, meaning that Shahuri was directly responsible for a significant portion of the shooting incidents (and the deaths) that have been carried out against Israel since the beginning of the war.
After the impressive double hit, Hezbollah fired a number of missile barrages at Kiryat Shmona, and in response the Air Force carried out extensive attacks against the firing positions, and against military structures affiliated with Hezbollah in various towns and villages in southern Lebanon. “The Iranians will not be able to create a different equation of deterrence against the State of Israel,” said defense minister Galant during the attacks. “Air Force planes operate everywhere, the Middle East is open, and we will know how to strike at any point against any enemy who fights us.”
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