Israeli media devoted a large space to the speech of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah after the explosions of wireless communications devices in Lebanon and Israel’s preparations on the northern front with the increasing escalation.
According to Itai Blumenthal, the military affairs correspondent for Israel’s Channel 11, Israel has made an irreversible decision, as there is no escape from a major military operation in the north, warning of tense days ahead with Hezbollah.
Blumenthal pointed out that Israeli security assessments cast doubt on the possibility of reaching a diplomatic solution, revealing that Israeli preparations are ongoing to launch a broad attack in Lebanon with the aim of “allowing the return of the northern settlers.”
In turn, the political affairs correspondent of the same channel saw that Nasrallah’s speech was expected, but he did not provide details or reveal the method or timing of the response, adding that he wanted to tell Israel, “Do not escalate the operation, do not expand its scope, and do not enter Lebanon.”
Regarding the possibility of a pre-planned plan for a broader operation in Lebanon after the communications devices were bombed, the military affairs correspondent for Israel’s Channel 12, Nir Dvori, addressed the state of alert and readiness in Israel, considering the transfer of the “98” military division to the north “a warning message to Hezbollah that Israel is ready.”
Dvori confirmed that there is also a state of alert in other security and military agencies, such as intelligence and the air force, both defensively and offensively, before saying that “Israel has an opportunity and there are risks.”
According to the spokesman, Israel is preparing for the possibility of entering into a large-scale war, considering that this “is consistent with the goals of the war that were modified regarding the northern front, which are to return the northern settlers, deal a severe blow to Hezbollah’s capabilities, and avoid the outbreak of a large-scale regional war.”
In the same context, the Israeli Channel 13 said that Nasrallah is planning a major attack against Israel in response to the explosions of communications devices in Lebanon, revealing that his estimates and those close to him say that “Israel may be planning to seize the opportunity and launch a surprise attack against Hezbollah in the coming hours or days.”
Regarding the battles in the Gaza Strip, former spokesman for the occupation army Ronen Manelis said that Israel must be very modest after the killing of 4 soldiers in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, adding, “In order to defeat the Rafah Brigade, we had to occupy all the areas of the Qassam Brigades – the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) – and operate extensively in them.”
Manelis explained to Channel 12 Israel, “The army is operating in two narrow axes, Netzarim and Philadelphi, and is carrying out limited operations in the rest of the areas, as well as bombing and reconnaissance operations,” concluding that “we cannot talk about a decisive victory when the forces are operating in this manner.”