Amid the analyses and interpretations related to the structure of Hezbollah and the escalation of the southern front to its maximum limits, the United States is hastening to supply Israel with ammunition of all kinds, especially smart bombs, and anti-missile Iron Dome systems, to avoid the need for an emergency airlift in the event of a wide war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Gates of Hell
These details were touched upon by the US "Monitor" website, which revealed the readiness of the United States to provide Israel with advanced bunker-busting bombs.
A high-ranking Israeli security source commented on these military developments, saying that “this will allow Israel to reach even the deepest hideouts, and this is something that both the leadership of Hamas in Gaza and the Secretary-General of Hezbollah in Beirut should know."
He added that “regarding Israel's image and its ability to deter in the medium and long term, this is a destructive process. For this reason, Israel must emerge from the current campaign in Gaza with a clear victory or a decisive blow if possible. Any other result, such as the draw that ended previous rounds of fighting, would pave the way for more bloodshed."
Concerning the possibility of Hezbollah launching a similar attack to the "Flood of Al-Aqsa" in the north, the security source stated that "if that happens, the gates of hell will open for everyone. We must not reach this situation."
Serious Discussions
The US website reveals discussions within the newly formed Israeli Security Cabinet and Diplomacy, which includes Netanyahu, his close aide and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, three ministers, in addition to retired generals Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, opposition deputies, and Defense Minister Yuval Golan, having deep discussions about Hezbollah's intentions to expand the war. Many council members expressed a desire to expand the war against Hamas to include Hezbollah in the north.
In this regard, an unnamed council member stated, "If we are already going to stay in shelters for weeks or even months, and if we have already paid a heavy price in blood on the home front, we must seize the opportunity and restore our deterrent power against Hezbollah."
He continued, "While Israel cannot destroy Hezbollah as it intends to do with Hamas, it is certain that it is possible to redefine the rules of the game and renew Israeli deterrence achieved after the destruction of the Dahieh in the July 2006 war."
Hidden Intentions
Nevertheless, the website emphasizes that these statements reflect the opinion of the minority.
Almost all key decision-makers in Israel prefer to focus efforts on dealing with Hamas in the south and keep the continuous provocations of Hezbollah at a lower priority. As a precautionary measure, the Israeli army has deployed several combat brigades in the north, including a large portion of its armored vehicles, which are less needed in the densely populated urban area in Gaza.
Regarding Israeli assessments of Hezbollah's intentions, a senior source in Israeli intelligence explained the current situation to "Monitor," saying, "Our current assessment is that Nasrallah wants to annoy us, provoke us, and harm us, but he does not want to enter into a comprehensive war. However, we must not forget that our assessments have not been entirely accurate lately. Just as we thought that Hamas had been deterred and was seeking to improve the economic situation in Gaza, there may also be something related to Hezbollah and Iran that we have not determined yet."
Comprehensive War and Iranian Orders
Meanwhile, the "Israel Hayom" newspaper conducted an interview with former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen about the Gaza war and its implications for the Israeli state. During the interview, Cohen spoke about Hezbollah's intentions, explaining, "I advise against guessing Hezbollah's intentions. There will be no more surprises because we are all in a state of alert and full preparedness. We must be prepared for a comprehensive confrontation with Hezbollah, especially since the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army has emphasized more than once the ability of the war on two fronts. I do not think that the surprise on October 7 reflects the true picture of our organizational military capability, so I say that we can also confront Hezbollah. We will start the war with an advantage on both fronts in terms of military strength and technology. This does not mean that the campaign will be easy for our soldiers or on the home front, but we can handle it."
As for whether Iran wants to push Hezbollah towards a broader war, Cohen added, "I dare not make an absolute statement that Iran will activate Hezbollah or prevent it from acting. I believe that Hezbollah can act independently, and I have no doubt that there is coordination between them, but I am not sure that Hezbollah will move according to Iranian orders. Even if Hezbollah decides not to listen to the Iranian decision, I do not think that Iran will oppose this. I am convinced that Iran is pleased with what happened on October 7 and will not hesitate to continue supporting both the party and Hamas together."
US Pressures to Avoid War with Lebanon
The American newspaper "The New York Times" reported that officials from the United States and Israel, aware of what transpired in sensitive meetings, said that President Joe Biden and his top aides urged Tel Aviv not to carry out any major strike against Hezbollah to avoid being dragged into war.
According to the report published by the American newspaper, Washington is concerned that "extreme right-wing" members of the government coalition will pressure Israel to take action on its northern front after repeated rocket launches and attempts to infiltrate the borders, which have already caused casualties among Israeli soldiers.