Documents found by the IDF in the Hamas tunnels in Khan Yunis revealed new details about Hamas’ strategy that led to the surprise attack on Israel on october 7th. According to the documents, which are associated with Hamas leader Yahya Snoar, Hamas seemed to have security that Hezbollah would join the attack on Israel: “We have received a commitment that the Shiite axis will participate in the great liberation project, due to the nature of the connection we are working on.”
It is known that Hezbollah has been training for years on a plan to conquer the Galilee during the next war, and has even prepared the ‘Radowan’ assult unit for this purpose, together with a massive arsenal of missiles and rockets, many times more than Hamas’ capabilities. But the end is known to us – Hezbollah did not join the Hamas attack, but rather they were content to bring forces closer to the border, to allow the infiltration of Palestinian terrorists, and to fire few missiles (which have been increasing in the past two months).
On the face of it, if Hezbollah had attacked at the same time on October 7th or immediately afterwards, the IDF would have had a great deal of difficulty organizing and stabilizing itself with the containment of the two fronts. The home front would have suffered greatly, and the State of Israel could have faced a potential existential danger. If so, how can Hezbollah’s behavior be explained?
There seem be three main options:
– There was a significant conection gap between Hezbollah and Hamas, which prevented them from coordinating the attack, or understanding its implementation.
– Hezbollah and Iran intended to wait a little after the attack to assess Israel’s and the world’s response, and to act on it; in light of Hamas’s cruelty, which blackened its image, Israel’s agile organization and public mobilization, and the steadfastness of the US to Israel’s side, it decided to abstain.
– Hezbollah and Iran deceived Hamas and never intended to join the war – but to sacrifice Hamas in order to achieve a strategic goal from the war that will develop.
Either way, it seems that Israel has been saved of a more cruel fate and a more difficult possibility, and now it has the strategic initiative against all its enemies. Let’s hope we take full advantage of it, and as the Minister of Defense said yeterday: “Every day the IDF wins, and Hezbollah loses.”
To respond – rxpuyhi@gmail.com
