In a cooperative training exercise last week, army cadets at the IDF’s Officer Training School drilled for a takeover of a Lebanese village held by Hezbollah in a potential future war with the Iranian-backed terrorist group.
The exercise, dubbed “The Combined Combat Workshop,” brought together the armored corp, infantry, air force, and intelligence-gathering troops. The cadets also trained for underground combat in tunnels and bunkers, as well as battles against missile-launching cells.
In a future war with Hezbollah, “we will not enter every village,” explained Lt. Gen. Benny Aharon. “We will choose the targets we need to conquer and hit those places we know will help us defeat the enemy — the places that are its center of gravity.”
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned last month that the Iranian-backed terrorist group would “annihilate and destroy” the Israeli military if it entered Lebanon in a future war. In January, the terror chief said that in a future war, all of Israel “will be struck by our rockets.”
Reflecting on the situation in the north, Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick, a former chief of the IDF’s Northern Command, told Ynet news, “Hezbollah still has plans to invade the Galilee.” Hezbollah has repeatedly stated that it intends to attack the Galilee in its next war with Israel and to kidnap or kill Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Israel is preparing to defend itself against a specific Hezbollah unit, Radwan, which was formed eight years ago with the purpose of infiltrating into Israel and carrying out terrorist attacks there. The goal wouldn’t just be the actual destruction the unit would cause but also the symbolism of having terrorists carry out attacks inside Israel.
In December of last year, Israel launched Operation Northern Shield to seek and destroy attack tunnels built by Hezbollah, the terrorist group which exercises complete political and military control over Lebanon. Nasrallah dismissed Israel’s success in destroying the attack tunnels. “The uncovering of the tunnels does not affect by 10 percent our plans to take over the Galilee,” he said in January.
[Photo: Israel Defense Forces / Wikimedia Commons]