The Wall Street Journal reported that despite the Lebanese army’s attempts to defeat Hezbollah and the Israeli attacks in the south of the country – the intelligence picture is alarming • According to the information available in Israel: the terrorist organization is accumulating missiles, rockets, artillery and additional combat equipment, some of which is still being smuggled through Syria • Arab intelligence sources: Hezbollah has returned to operating in a decentralized and less centralized manner – similar to the Hamas model in the Strip Gaza
Published:
In Israel, people are outraged following the latest intelligence assessments that state that Hezbollah is getting stronger instead of moving forward with a process of disarmament, as reported today (Friday) in the Wall Street Journal. The latest intelligence in Israel indicates that the terrorist organization is accumulating missiles, rockets, artillery means and additional combat equipment. Some of the amla comes through the smuggling routes from Syria that remain active in part, despite the air force attacks, some comes by sea and some is produced in Lebanon.
Arab intelligence sources say that Hezbollah has returned to operating in a decentralized and less centralized manner, similar to how it operated in the 1980s. The method of operation is also reminiscent of the change that Hamas went through in the Gaza Strip after suffering severe blows during the war.
The outrage in Israel stems from the very fact that the agreement signed a year ago with Lebanon should have also covered the issue of arming Hezbollah. The IDF does attack the south of the country almost on a daily basis, but the intelligence assessments paint a worrying picture, as it seems that the terrorist organization’s equipment is supplied through several smuggling routes and some of the weapons production is carried out independently.
Israel is outraged by the intelligence assessments – which show that the situation has changed, and instead of disarming Hezbollah, the situation now is the strengthening of the terrorist organization. According to the report, Israel is losing patience and is not satisfied with the pace at which the Lebanese army is acting against the terrorist organization. However, it was noted that since the ceasefire between the parties entered into force in November 2024, the IDF has provided the Lebanese army with accurate intelligence on Hezbollah’s renewed attempts to arm itself and has attacked over 1,000 targets of the terrorist organization throughout the country.
Tom Barak, the US ambassador to Turkey and who manages the contacts with Syria and Lebanon on Trump’s behalf, warned that if Beirut continues to hesitate – Israel may act alone. In some areas in the south of the country, cooperation between the terrorist organization and the army is indeed implemented, as there has been some progress in the demilitarization of the area. However, in south Beirut and the Lebanon Valley – Hezbollah does not cooperate and continues to arm itself.
Arab intelligence sources told the newspaper that despite the severe damage suffered by the terrorist organization, Hezbollah did not surrender. It recruits new fighters, rehabilitates itself, and operates in a more flexible and decentralized structure – a model that gives it greater resistance to attacks.