Exploring Hezbollah's Strategic Depth: Targeting the Golan Heights

A report by Lara al-Hachem, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

In the depths of Wednesday night, the Central Bekaa reverberated with a series of powerful explosions, revealing a series of Israeli airstrikes in the barren mountains of Brital. 

Reports indicate that the targeted sites were empty Hezbollah training camps and old depots. 

The powerful explosions and fireballs seen in the area suggested a significant explosive force, difficult to ascertain whether solely from missiles or specific detonations due to the secretive nature and elevation of the location.

In any case, the airstrikes on the Bekaa once again recalibrated the equation of the Bekaa versus the Golan. These strikes were a response to Hezbollah's deepest penetration into Israeli territory to date, spanning 35 kilometers south of Lake Tiberias in the Lower Galilee towards the occupied Golan Heights. Although not the first time Hezbollah has targeted the Golan, why this depth?

Today, Syria is unable to engage in supporting attacks by targeting the occupied Golan from its territories. Therefore, Hezbollah seeks to unify the fronts of the Golan and the Galilee, overseen by the Northern Region Command, operated from the Dado Base. At the same time, Hezbollah  is preparing the ground in the Golan in anticipation of possible war expansion.

Striking deep into the Galilee and retaliating with a series of airstrikes in the Bekaa, which forms Hezbollah's solid flank, follows a painful series of strikes by Hezbollah against Israel within a short timeframe. 

 

This notably included targeting the spy balloon launch base above the settlement of Adamit in the Western Galilee, causing its escape along with the control unit and crew, resulting in casualties. This balloon serves as Israel's widest surveillance eye in the region. Additionally, two Israeli officers were killed in Metula by a drone, according to the Israeli army.

These are messages exchanged with fire between Hezbollah and Israel, according to informed sources familiar with Hezbollah’s atmosphere, indicating an escalated confrontation in target selection and intelligence operations by the latter. However, this does not change the general course of matters still within the framework of deterrence and mutual deterrence.