IDF warns: Hezbollah is reorganizing for guerrilla warfare
The complex engineering operation on the Ali Taher ridge ended with the destruction of terrorist infrastructure and the elimination of dozens of terrorists, but officers in the Northern Command warn that Hezbollah is reorganizing for guerrilla warfare, learning and drawing lessons. The main concern: stagnation in the Lebanese territory could exact a heavy price over time.
The complex engineering operation on the Ali Taher ridge ended with the destruction of terrorist infrastructure and the elimination of dozens of terrorists, but officers in the Northern Command warn that Hezbollah is reorganizing for guerrilla warfare. According to the officers, surveillance and intelligence already show the enemy learning, drawing lessons, and attempting to operate guerrilla cells under the radar. At this stage, the IDF has defined a "kill zone" that separates the area under Israeli control from the area under Hezbollah control, and according to the definition of Northern Command Chief Major General Rafi Milo - whoever enters it will be eliminated. The main concern is that stagnation in the Lebanese territory could exact a heavy price over time. The officers warn that Hezbollah will not remain in a state of complete restraint forever, and at the top of the organization they are waiting for developments in the Iranian arena. However, it is clear to everyone in the security establishment that this is no longer the same Hezbollah we knew at the beginning of the war. The organization operates without a strong and experienced leadership echelon, although Sheikh Naim Qassem manages to balance the organization's branches. Hezbollah no longer enjoys the enormous budget it had with Iranian backing, and without the monstrous arsenal of weapons, the dug-in positions, and the veteran field commanders. There is resentment among its men and a great challenge to pay salaries, pensions, and support for the families of the "martyrs." Still, the radical Shiite organization should not be taken lightly - it is already amassing power and preparing for the next stage, including through increased use of unmanned aerial vehicles and fiber-optic drones. Against the backdrop of concern that the next steps will be directed toward Nabatieh, a "Shiite stronghold" that at this stage the IDF is content with airstrikes in the area. It is also unclear whether, given the budget crisis, the IDF will have the funds to prepare for winter on all fronts.