War between Israel and the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah is inevitable and certain to be devastating for both sides.
This viewpoint is presented in a new report published late last week and covered in detail by Israeli media outlets The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post.
The High Level Military Group, an international military think tank, prepared the report. The authors say that, while Iran-backed Hezbollah doesn’t want war right now because of its extensive involvement in the Syrian civil war, its actions and propaganda suggest that it considers future armed conflict with Israel a given.
Hezbollah is “the most powerful non-state armed actor in the world,” according to the report’s authors – retired generals and defense officials from the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and other democratic nations. The analysts outline the strategies each side would use in a future conflict as well as the potential drawbacks of those plans.
The examination also found that the U.N. interim peacekeeping force in Lebanon is not enforcing the U.N. resolution intended to keep armed militias like Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon.
A formidable enemy
The report’s authors believe Hezbollah has approximately 25,000 full-time fighters – 5,000 of whom have undergone advanced training in Iran, according to the former military leaders comprising the research group. At least another 20,000 fighters serve in reserve units.
This terrorist army boasts of possessing attack drones, air defense systems, armored personnel carriers and even tanks. It is also believed to have more rockets than many European armies, as well as shore-to-sea missiles that are a threat to Israeli Navy ships.
But the report also notes that Israel’s military is considered by many observers to be the most powerful in the Middle East and suggests that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have more than 400,000 active frontline personnel, more than 3,600 tanks and nearly 1,000 aircraft.
Leaving Syria
Hezbollah’s high command has issued orders mandating that its remaining fighters leave Syria in early 2018, reports the Israel Hayom news source. The pullout is designed to ensure that Hezbollah has sufficient force along Lebanon’s border with Israel should hostilities with the Jewish state resume.
For the past five years, Hezbollah forces have fought alongside the Syrian military in that country’s bloody civil war. It is believed that the Shiite terrorist group, along with other Iranian-backed militias, has helped turn the tide in favor of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Still, based on Hezbollah’s entrenchment and activities along the Golan Heights, IDF officials believe that the terrorists will avoid escalation with Israel until they can achieve their priority of winning the Syrian civil war.
Surrounded by enemies, but protected by God
Can you imagine how stressful it must be for the people of Israel to live under the kinds of threats they face? They’re surrounded by enemies sworn to destroy them: Hamas controls the Gaza Strip to the west, the Palestinian Authority rules the West Bank region to the east, ISIS is increasingly active in the Sinai to the south, and Hezbollah is biding its time, waiting to strike from the north.
No wonder we at Jewish Voice have promised to stand with all peace-loving people in Israel. They need our prayers and our support. Of course, we know that while Israel is under constant threat of attack, in the end, God’s plan for both the Nation of Israel (all Jewish people) and the State of Israel (those living in that tiny, vulnerable Middle Eastern country) will lead to a world-redeeming conclusion that has been decided since before the beginning of time.
