«Iron Dome vulnerable». It wasU.S. officials seriously fear that in the event of a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group could overwhelm Israeli air defenses in the north, including the much-vaunted Iron Dome air defense system.Iron gun for anti-missile defense capable of intercepting medium-velocity rockets and artillery projectiles with ballistic trajectory. Designed as a defensive countermeasure to the threat of Grad and Katjuša rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, Syria, Lebanon or the Sinai Peninsula against Israeli populations close to the borders, it was declared operational in March 2011. CNN reports what worries several US officials. «Fears, which US officials say were also communicated to them by Israel, that Iron Dome may be vulnerable to Hezbollah’s vast arsenal of missiles and drones are only growing as Israel has increasingly indicated to US officials that is preparing for a ground attack and air raid in Lebanon».
«Hamas is unbeatable», the army spokesman infuriates Netanyahu
THE CONCERN
Israeli officials have told the United States that they are planning to move resources from southern Gaza to northern Israel in preparation for a possible offensive against the group. «We believe at least some Iron Dome batteries will be overwhelmed», a senior administration official said. In particular, one Israeli official said this would be more likely if Hezbollah conducted a large-scale attack using primarily precision-guided weapons, which could be difficult for the system to defend against. Hezbollah has been stockpiling ammunition and precision-guided missiles from Iran for years, something Israel has repeatedly expressed concern about.
Earlier this month, Hezbollah released a video showing a drone hitting and damaging an Iron Dome battery at a military base in northern Israel. The Israeli press reported that it appears to be the first documented case of the system being successfully targeted. The IDF, the Israeli army, said it was not aware of any damage to the system. But Israeli officials have told the United States that they believe Iron Dome may be vulnerable, particularly in northern Israel, and have been surprised by the sophistication of Hezbollah’s attacks to date, according to CNN reports from US officials. . «A major concern is that Hezbollah uses large numbers of munitions and precision-guided missiles». This week the Lebanese militant group also released a nine-minute video, allegedly taken by a drone, showing sensitive Israeli military sites in several Israeli cities. Another US official acknowledged to CNN that, in the event of a full-blown war, the support Israel will most need will be additional air defense systems and Iron Dome supplies, which the US would provide. The IDF declined to comment.
«A VERY DANGEROUS PERIOD»
The Iron Dome is critical to Israel’s defense, and the U.S. government has spent more than $2.9 billion on the program, according to the Congressional Research Service. The Israel Defense Forces said the system boasted a 95.6% success rate during a rocket salvo launched by Islamic Jihad last year, so if Hezbollah managed to overwhelm Israel’s missile defenses it would put military and civilian lives at risk Israeli. «A very dangerous time». The discussions come as the situation on Israel’s northern border has reached a dangerous turning point, US officials said. «The fact that we managed to hold the front for so long was a miracle»a senior American official said, referring to US efforts to prevent the Israel-Hezbollah attacks from escalating into an all-out war, repeating: «We are entering a very dangerous period. Something could start with little notice». The implications of a wider war between Israel and Hezbollah could be devastating, according to the senior US official. Hezbollah has an exponentially larger, more sophisticated and more destructive arsenal of rockets, missiles and drones than Hamas. Most are short-range rockets, but some can reach deep into Israel with precision capabilities. The IDF estimates that Hezbollah has around 150,000 rockets and missiles, including thousands of precision munitions. «The possibility of war continues to rise as prospects for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas have faded».
DIPLOMACY
If an agreement is reached, then there will be a parallel diplomatic agreement between Israel and Hezbollah negotiated by US envoy Amos Hochstein that the US believes will come into force. Hochstein visited both Jerusalem and Beirut this week, meeting with senior Israeli and Lebanese officials to support his plan and dissuade the parties from further escalation. But cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah reached a new high last week, and on Tuesday Israel warned Hezbollah of the prospect of “all-out war” after the release of the drone video. Israeli officials have told the United States, and the United States agrees, that it has resources to carry out an offensive against Hezbollah if necessary, particularly if its campaign in Rafah, southern Gaza, were to end. The IDF still plans to maintain a presence in Gaza, but its fiercest operations in the enclave will largely end after Rafah, officials said. However, the US does not believe Israel has a sustainable transition and post-conflict governance plan for Gaza that would ensure the enclave does not fall under militant control again if Israel were to shift resources towards a war with Lebanon. «US officials have not explicitly told Israel that they oppose any attack against Hezbollah, but they warn them that their actions could lead to a bigger war that the two sides don’t actually want.»again the words of an American official.
THE OFFENSIVE IN LEBANON
Israel has claimed it can carry out a «blitzkrieg», but the United States warns it may not be able to ensure a limited campaign remains, the official said. Israel «he is very serious about entering Lebanon». During Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent trip to the Middle East, he told an Arab counterpart that it appears Israel is intent on launching an incursion into Lebanon, according to a source familiar with the meeting. «It seems that Israel is very serious about entering Lebanon». The Arab official’s response to Blinken, the source added, was that Hezbollah has communicated that they will not stop their attacks on Israel until Israel ends its operations in Gaza. Israeli intelligence officials have told the United States that one of the main objectives of an offensive «would be to push back Hezbollah, creating a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon and allowing tens of thousands of Israelis who have been forced from their homes in the north by cross-border attacks to return». If war were averted and Hochstein’s plan went into effect, Hezbollah would also see itself retreat about six miles, or ten kilometers, from the border. But to avoid a return of the group in the future, Israel may want to further destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the area.
The United States has feared for months that Israel could launch an incursion, with intelligence assessments earlier this year indicating it could happen by early summer. US officials also rebuked Israel for its attacks that hit the US-backed Lebanese army, rather than Hezbollah targets, believing that «The Israeli government is under increasing domestic political pressure to address the situation in the north due to the number of Israelis who have been forced to flee their homes». Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held an operational assessment at the IDF Northern Command on Wednesday, where he said: «We are achieving readiness on the ground and in the air. We have an obligation to change things in the North and ensure the safe return of our citizens to their homes, and we will find a way to achieve this».
THE RISK
«Allies are also deeply concerned about the potential that a full-scale conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could attract other proxy groups», reports CNN. U.S. officials are particularly concerned about the thousands of American troops in the Middle East who could once again be targeted by Iranian-backed groups if Hezbollah (the preeminent pro-Iranian group) and Israel go to war. Further concerns include four other regional players, who would be willing to come to Israel’s support and defense if Israel enters into a larger conflict, one of the officials explained. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday that if war comes «tax» to Lebanon, then Hezbollah will fight «without rules or limits». He also said that no place would be safe from Hezbollah attacks in the event of war, including targets in the eastern Mediterranean.
Over 1,000 U.S. troops are now stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean in support of the U.S. Military Dock’s humanitarian operation. Nasrallah also warned on Wednesday that Hezbollah could target Cyprus if the country allowed Israel to use its airfields and bases to strike Lebanon. Hezbollah’s ground force is also larger than Hamas’s, with about 40,000 to 50,000 fighters, according to the Congressional Research Service. Nasrallah said on Wednesday that the number of Hezbollah fighters actually has «far surpassed» the 100,000. Many, including the elite Radwan force, have years of experience fighting in Syria on behalf of the Assad regime. Despite the existing state of conflict between the two neighboring states, the border between Israel and Lebanon has for years been the calmest since the end of the 2006 war, with only occasional cross-border fighting ending relatively quickly. But the Hamas attack on October 7 radically changed the status quo between Israel and Hezbollah. Hezbollah rocket fire and drone attacks have become a new reality in northern Israel, and the IDF carries out numerous attacks daily in southern Lebanon. Current hostilities, which could have sparked war before October 7, have become all too routine, even as the United States continues to say neither side wants a broader conflict.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Read the full article at
The messenger
