Israel: Nasrallah close to making mistake that could lead to major war
Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva has noted that Israel’s confrontation with Iran's proxies has become a “direct” confrontation with the Islamic republic itself.
He further stated that the probability of an escalation that could degenerate into a full-scale war is not low. "Exercising measured and calculated force, as part of Israel's national interest, is the way to deal with this while strengthening alliances in the region," he said.
Haliva also warned that Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah "is close to making a mistake that could lead to a major war. "
"The fact that he allows the launching of drones from Syria, all of this creates a high potential for escalation in the region and we need to be prepared. Don't get us wrong. We are ready to use force,'' Haliva said.
His remarks came a day after Hezbollah put on a show of force in south Lebanon, where the group extended a rare media invitation to one of its training sites.
During the event, Hezbollah fighters simulated cross-border raids into Israel, using live ammunition and an attack drone. Around 200 Hezbollah fighters took part in the mock raids, part of large-scale military exercise in Aaramta, around 20 kilometers north of the Israeli border.
Dozens of journalists were invited to the event which took place ahead of the anniversary next week of Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.
One simulated raid involved a drone attack against a target inside Israel, while in another, fighters attacked vehicles across a mock border, retrieved a dummy's body from one of the cars and whisked it back across the "frontier."
Hezbollah also put on display heavy and light arms, including anti-aircraft weapons and rocket launchers as well as rocket-propelled grenades.
"If some people in the Zionist entity (Israel) dream of doing something foolish... we will rain down our precision missiles and all the weapons at our disposal," senior Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine said at the event.
Israel and Hezbollah fought a devastating war in 2006 after the group captured two Israeli soldiers.
Source: Naharnet
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