[News] War with Hezbollah to be 'Israel's' deadliest: 130-page Israeli report

[Anti-Imperialist News]

english.almayadeen.net
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/war-with-hezbollah-to-be-deadliest-for--israel---130-page-re>
War with Hezbollah to be 'Israel's' deadliest: 130-page Israeli report
Al Mayadeen English
February 11, 2024
------------------------------

An Israeli report underlines that the Israeli occupation has no chance in
the face of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon as the latter's capabilities
would rapidly overwhelm "Tel Aviv".
[image: 1890b335-7054-450d-b6b7-11e61e7fd7df.jpg]

   - Fighters from the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah carry out a
   training exercise in Aaramta village in the Jezzine District, southern
   Lebanon, Sunday, May 21, 2023 (*AP Photo*/Hassan Ammar)

The potential war between the Israeli occupation and Lebanon's Hezbollah
holds a grim reality for the Israeli occupation, as it would be the most
devastating war it has gone through since its inception, as per a
three-year study conducted by hundreds of experts at the Counter-Terrorism
Policy Institute at Reichman University.

Israeli news outlet *Calcalist *shed light on the grim analysis of the
potential war, which warns of unprecedented destruction and bloodshed in a
conflict that could surpass the Israeli occupation's worst fears
<https://english.almayadeen.net/videos/terrifying-morning-for-israel>.

The exhaustive 130-page report was a collaborative effort of six think tank
teams, consisting of 100 experts, former military and security officials,
academics, and government officials. Notably, the team was led by Professor
Boaz Ganor, a globally recognized pioneer in so-called "terrorism research"
and the current president of Reichman University.

The report delves into critical aspects, including the readiness of the
Israeli forces and the home front for a multi-front war. Key contributors
to the study include Reserve Major General Aharon Ze'evi Farkash, Reserve
Major General Isaac Ben-Israel, Reserve Brigadier Generals Zeev Zuk Ram and
Betzalel Treiber, Reserve Colonel Eran Makov, Haim Tomer, and former
Justice Minister Dan Meridor.

Despite the gravity of the findings, *Calcalist *suggests that doubts
surround the timing of the report's release, hinting at possible
concealment or manipulation. Ganor reportedly presented the report to
various Israeli military and political leaders in the months leading up to
the Palestinian Resistance's October 7 operation. However, the
attempts to alert
security agencies and decision-makers
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/-israel--dismissed-intel-on-oct-7--said-beyond-hamas-capabil>
were allegedly unsuccessful, according to the Israeli media outlet.

The report was presented to senior Israeli officials over the span of 40
meetings with figures as high-ranking as former Prime Minister Naftali
Bennett, Security Minister Moshe Ya'alon, and former Chief of Staff Aviv
Kochavi, among others.

Professor Ganor expressed his disappointment in failing to secure meetings
with more high-profile figures like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi, and Chief of Staff Herzi
Halevi, despite multiple requests.

Of particular concern is the claim that only the findings of five think
tank teams were made public, with the section prepared by the sixth team,
focusing on aspects related to a potential Israeli preemptive attack
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israelis-wanted--pre-emptive-strike--on-lebanon--did-biden-h>,
remaining strictly confidential.
Hellfire to rain down on 'Israel'

Ganor's report suggests that the war, anticipated to erupt from the north,
will be overwhelmingly intense for the Israeli occupation, with Hezbollah
launching a whopping 2,500 to 3,000 missiles per day
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-s-dual-threat-to--israel---massive-firepower--radw>.
This barrage includes both statistically inaccurate rocket artillery and
high-precision long-range missiles.

Periodically, Hezbollah
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-warns-israel-to-avoid-escalation-with-hezbollah>
is expected to unleash massive salvos targeting specific areas, such as
crucial Israeli military bases or cities in the key "Gush Dan" region,
where hundreds of rockets could rain down in a single day.

The relentless assault is projected to persist day after day, extending
over three weeks from the outbreak of hostilities. The report warns that
the resulting destruction will be unprecedented, accompanied by thousands
of casualties
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-attacks-israeli-command-center-as-israeli-casualti>
on both the front lines and among Israeli settlers within occupied
Palestine, sparking a state of panic and disarray.

One of the primary objectives of Hezbollah's prospective operations, as
highlighted by Ganor, is to undermine the Israeli forces' air defense
system. Precision ammunition and low-flying aerial devices, including
drones, gliders, and cruise missiles, are expected to inflict material
damage and target Iron Dome batteries.

The pace of the barrage will present unprecedented challenges to Israeli
capabilities, depleting reserves of interception missiles for the Iron Dome
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/-meron--saga-continues--iron-dome-inapt-against-hezbollah-s>
and David's Sling within the early days of the conflict. The Israeli
occupation could be left exposed
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-bombs-two-israeli-iron-dome-systems>
to thousands of rocket and missile attacks without an effective and
reliable defensive mechanism.

Simultaneously, Hezbollah aims to sabotage the activities of the Israeli
Air Force
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-air-force-unreliable-in-wars-if-more-pilots-refuse-s>
and limit its operational capabilities as heavy precision missiles will be
directed at takeoff runways within specific timeframes to hinder repair
efforts and aerial offensives.

Intensive fire will target hangars storing military aircraft and precision
missiles with explosive warheads will strike sensitive infrastructure,
including power stations, electricity-related facilities, desalination
plants, and transportation facilities in Haifa and "Ashdod", the report
underlined.

The report's research team also issued a dire warning that a swarm of
dozens of suicide drones flying at very low altitudes would target critical
assets within occupied Palestine. These include weapons facilities,
emergency storage facilities for the Israeli occupation forces, and
hospitals that would be needed for the unprecedented casualties that would
be incurred.

The assault won't be limited to physical attacks; critical transportation
infrastructure, communication channels, and sites related to government
ministries and local authorities are expected to face widespread
cyberattacks, posing a serious risk of disrupting the economy.
Hezbollah, allies to overwhelm 'Israel'

The report highlights that chaos is expected to escalate within the Israeli
occupation as Hezbollah prepares to send hundreds of fighters from the
Radwan force into Israeli territories. Their primary objective would be to
gain control of settlements along the border area with Lebanon and
strategic military sites in the northern region
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-pounds-israeli-site-with-burkan-rockets--targets-c>
.

This would force the Israeli army to divert its efforts from immediate
operations in Lebanon, engaging in ground maneuvers to counter the imminent
threat.

Internally, the Israeli public is anticipated to face challenges in
receiving updated and reliable information about the unfolding situation,
leading to a loss of trust
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/-real-distrust--in-netanyahu-even-among-pro--israel--us-lawm>
in messages relayed by official sources.

The potential for panic and fear is expected to intensify due to the
significant number of casualties, extensive damage, disruptions in power
and water supply, delays in the arrival of rescue and relief forces, and
difficulties in obtaining essential services such as food and medicine.

Hezbollah plans to exacerbate panic and confusion through continuous
psychological
warfare
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-video-creative-psyops---israeli-media>,
flooding the media and social networks with threats and information that
deepen internal divisions. Additionally, those seeking to escape from
occupied Palestine may discover that the country's air links with the world
have been severed.

Ganor, a prominent figure in the region, pointed out that the Israeli
public's expectations of the Air Force and intelligence formations
preventing the majority of guided missile strikes on the Israeli occupation
are likely to be disproven. The assumption that an intensive Israeli attack
on strategically important properties in Lebanon will force Hezbollah to
cease fire is also expected to be proven wrong.

Hezbollah will not be alone in this battle, as the report warns of
involvement from organizations across the region. Resistance factions in
Syria and Iraq, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, as
well as Ansar
Allah in Yemen
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/yemen-joining-in-battle-keeps-israel-on-its-toes>,
are expected to contribute to what the report describes as a "violent and
extensive upheaval."

The upheaval in question will include disruptions in the West Bank and
among Palestinians of '48, with rioting in mixed cities, challenges in war
perception for the public, and the lowering of expectations from the army
and rescue forces.

The report concludes by outlining vulnerabilities and pinpointing
weaknesses in the Israeli forces and society. It challenges the
expectations of the public and a significant portion of the leadership,
stating that the effective Israeli Air Force
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/air-force-to-become-strategic-target-for-adversaries:-israel>
and intelligence formations might not prevent the majority of missile
strikes from reaching occupied Palestinian territories.

Similarly, the assumption that extensive attacks on strategically important
properties in Lebanon would force Hezbollah to cease fire is expected to be
inaccurate.
'Israel' dooming?

A report made in late January by Israeli media outlets saw the Israelis
admitting to the Lebanese Resistance's capabilities, saying Hezbollah
possessed the capability to launch approximately a thousand missiles at
'Tel Aviv' within a two-hour operational window. The report suggests that
some of these missiles will be precision-guided
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-long-range--precision-rockets--the-most-dangerous>,
while others will be directed toward the skyscrapers in "Tel Aviv".

However, the report refrained from discussing potential targets adjacent to
these towers, which Hezbollah has identified as "targets in the next war,"
according to their statement.

Israeli officials admitted that the Lebanese resistance, Hezbollah, has
succeeded in emptying the settlements in northern occupied Palestine
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-officials--hezbollah-overtook-the-north-in--simple-e>
without the use of any force. According to the officials, the Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) commander of the northern region has received
instructions not to escalate confrontations with the Lebanese resistance.

In a related context, a former Shin Bet official Dvir Karev told Israeli
Channel 13 that "Israel" is currently in its third war with Lebanon and
that Hezbollah has much more power
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/tough-night-in-north--hezbollah-pounds-iof-with-heavy-burkan>
than Hamas, both in weapons and in force. He questioned whether the IOF's
power could be sufficient against Hezbollah and expressed hope that the
confrontations would remain at a low level, acknowledging the many Israeli
casualties.
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