A report in the British weekly "The Economist" suggests that the main campaign on the northern border is still ahead of us and that both Hezbollah and Israel have not yet had their final say.
According to the report, the long-range fire that Hezbollah used in the last day in response to the explosion of the pagers and the assassination of Ibrahim Akil with the top command of the Radwan Force last Friday in the Dahieh quarter in Beirut, is just a tiny part of Hezbollah's true capabilities.
The report indicates that Hezbollah plans to invade Israeli territory by land in order to capture settlements or larger parts of the Galilee. Israel fears such a move, and on Saturday night, the IDF unusually instructed the settlements in the Galilee - including in Hatzor HaGlilit and in areas relatively far from the border - to guard the gates of the settlements.
According to the report, Israel is also planning an invasion of Lebanon and a large-scale ground maneuver in extensive areas in Lebanon, with the goal of outflanking Hezbollah from the north, south, and east until the organization's terrorists and infrastructure are pushed back beyond the Litani River.
According to The Economist, based on a senior Israeli source, the plans for the ground maneuver in Lebanon have already been approved and the army is ready to implement them, but as of now, the IDF has not yet raised enough military forces to carry out the maneuver.
During the last few days, residents of Northern Israel have been reporting about the deployment of tanks and heavy military vehicles to the northern border, and the IDF officially announced the deployment of the 98th Division, which operated in the Gaza Strip during the last few months, from the south to the northern border.
The division's fighters have extensive experience in guerrilla warfare and urban warfare due to the experience forced upon the IDF in the Gaza Strip, and the deployment of the unit to the northern border, besides its deterrent value against Hezbollah, may accelerate the ground maneuver in Lebanon.
The Economist also reported that there is no consensus in Israel's security leadership regarding the timing of the invasion of Lebanon and the ground maneuver. While Gallant and other senior IDF officials advocate for a slower escalation against Hezbollah, other senior officials demand that Israel starts its ground invasion as soon as possible.
In Israel and Lebanon, the messages continue to escalate: Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah declared, at the end of last week, that as long as the fighting in Gaza continues - the organization's actions in Lebanon towards Israel will continue. Prime Minister Netanyahu responded and committed not to stop until the evacuated residents from the north -can come back to their homes– a move that can only happen with Hezbollah's defeat, or its surrender and retraction of its hostile declarations.
Kikar Shabbat contributed to this article.
