Israel has told the Lebanese Hezbollah party that it “is not interested in the war, but ready to wage it if it is imposed on it,” political sources told Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
It also made unprecedented threats, explaining that the war will not be waged according to “Hezbollah’s agenda, and will witness several strategic shocks.”
Israel informed the party, through France, that if the party joined the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, it would “resort to American power to suppress Hezbollah,” as well as confront and overthrow the Syrian regime, including President Bashar al-Assad’s personal security.
Military sources told the newspaper that the decision announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to bring the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford closer to the region was part of this threat.
The huge modern battleship carries 38 F-35, F-15, and F-16 fighter planes, and has a stockpile of 1,000 tons of weapons. It is accompanied by four small warships, a ship carrying missiles, and four nuclear war submarines, and is ready for combat.
Military sources who spoke to the newspaper said Israel held talks with the administration of US President Joe Biden and requested Congress’ approval to allow US forces to participate in a possible campaign against Hezbollah.
According to media leaks, a number of extremist ministers in the Israeli government are calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to wait for Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah to make a move. Rather he must exploit the war to launch a preemptive strike on the party. Netanyahu has been cautious and thrown the ball in the Israeli army’s court.
Army officials believe it was not wise for Israel to open the northern front, but they have stressed that if Hezbollah provocations persist, then “we will respond to them appropriately.”
Israeli military intelligence has been warning for several months against possible war with Hezbollah, pointing to several indications of unusual movements by its members, and saying Nasrallah has adopted a hardline.
On Saturday, an Israeli minister warned that the Hamas attack was just a ruse by Iran and would be followed by a surprise assault by Hezbollah.
“Iran is behind everything that is happening in our region... It pushed [Hamas] into war, and... will push [Hezbollah] to launch a second war,” the minister was quoted as saying.
The Israeli army announced on Oct. 5 that it was preparing “to conduct the largest massive training exercises to train on launching a broad, multi-front war” next November.
It added that these exercises will focus on the air force, with the unusual participation of the German, American, Italian, Greek and French air forces. Britain canceled its participation at the last minute and decided to send observers.
