'Hezbollah could unleash October 7-style attack on Israel', Middle East expert warns
25 August 2024, 21:37
Hezbollah could unleash an 'October 7-style' attack on Israel as part of escalating tensions, a leading Middle East expert has said.
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Yaakov Katz said that the militant group could storm across Israel's northern border in a similar manner to the way Hamas did to kill more than 1,200 people in the infamous attack.
The expert and former editor of The Jerusalem Post told The Sun that Lebanese militant group has a similar network of tunnels to Hamas which they could use to unleash carnage in Israel.
Hezbollah is understood to have 30,000 to 50,000 fighters and between 120,000 and 200,000 missiles, rockets, and drones.
Yaakov said: "An October 7 style Hezbollah attack is always a possibility. And it would be irresponsible to assume that they cannot do it.
"I think one of the lessons of October 7 for Israel is always assume the worst and don't think that you have your enemy contained and under control.
"We have to assume that such an option does exist and can happen."
The alarm comes after Israel launched a series of intense airstrikes in southern Lebanon early on Sunday.
The army said they were pre-emptive strikes against Hezbollah, which had been planning to launch a heavy barrage of rockets and missiles towards Israel.
The Iranian-backed group had been promising to retaliate for Israel's assassination of a top commander late last month.
Soon afterwards, Hezbollah announced it had launched an attack on Israel with a "large number of drones" as an initial response to the killing of Fouad Shukur.
Hezbollah said the attack was targeting "a qualitative Israeli military target that will be announced later" as well as "targeting a number of enemy sites and barracks and Iron Dome platforms".
The attacks risk triggering a broader region-wide war that could torpedo efforts to forge a ceasefire in Gaza.
Egypt is currently hosting a new round of talks aimed at ending Israel's war against Hamas, now in its 11th month. Hezbollah has said it will halt the fighting if there is a ceasefire.
Israel launches 'pre-emptive' strikes in Lebanon as Hezbollah begins 'first phase' of retaliation with rocket barrage
Last week, Israel's defence minister said he was moving more troops towards the Lebanese border in anticipation of possible fighting with the group.
Israel's military spokesman, rear admiral Daniel Hagari, said: "In a self-defence act to remove these threats, the (Israeli military) is striking terror targets in Lebanon, from which Hezbollah was planning to launch their attacks on Israeli civilians."
"We can see that Hezbollah is preparing to launch an extensive attack on Israel while endangering the Lebanese civilians," he added, without providing details.
"We warn the civilians located in the areas where Hezbollah is operating to move out of harm's way immediately for their own safety."
Hezbollah began attacking Israel almost immediately after the war with Hamas erupted on October 7 with a Hamas cross-border attack.
Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire nearly daily since, displacing tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border and raising fears that the fighting could escalate into all-out war.
Hezbollah is considered much more powerful than its ally, Hamas, with an estimated arsenal of 150,000 rockets and missiles, including precision-guided missiles.
In recent months the group has also stepped up its use of drones, against which Israel is less well-equipped to defend.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he and his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, were managing the latest operation from military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Mr Gallant declared a "special situation on the home front" and Mr Netanyahu's Security Cabinet was set to meet later Sunday morning.
