GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 257

Hamas Losing Is The Key

Hamas Is Close To Falling

You may wonder how I can say that, but it’s not because of what the IDF is telling us, but by how Hezbollah is acting now as we see in an article from The Times Of Israel:

The head of Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group said Wednesday that nowhere in Israel would be safe if a full-fledged war breaks out between the two foes, while also threatening Cyprus and other parts of the Mediterranean.

The fact that Hezbollah has the ability to do a great deal of harm to Israel is one of the reasons Israel says they would prefer to not take them on, however Nasrallah is announcing that they aren’t going away and will definitely do more if Hamas needs it:

Speaking at a ceremony commemorating slain Hezbollah senior commander Taleb Abdullah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon last week alongside three other operatives, Nasrallah commented on the escalating conflict with the Jewish state, and said the Shiite terror group does not want “total war” but is only acting in support of Hamas.

And that’s the key here. If Hamas is in danger of being eliminated, Hezbollah will intervene. So far they have been serving as a distraction, but if a full blown attack on Israel will keep Hamas alive then that’s what they are prepared to do:

Hezbollah has been attacking northern Israel since October 8, leading to Israeli reprisals and an escalating conflict Israel has increasingly warned could spark open war.

Were Israel to launch a large-scale offensive against the Lebanese terror group, it must prepare for attacks from the ground, the air and the sea, and the “situation in the Mediterranean will change completely,” Nasrallah vowed.

He contends that all of Israel will be a target:

“No place” in Israel would be spared from the group’s weapons in case of a full-blown war, Nasrallah warned, saying Hezbollah will fight with “no rules” and “no ceilings” and adding: “The enemy knows well that we have prepared ourselves for the worst… and that no place… will be spared from our rockets.”

Israel “knows that what also awaits it in the Mediterranean is very big,” Nasrallah added, without elaborating, possibly insinuating the group could attack its offshore gas rigs.

Cyprus Is In The Mix

Hezbollah is not happy about Cyprus and will attack them as well:

Nasrallah also threatened Cyprus for the first time, saying it had been allowing Israel to use its airports and bases for military exercises and that Hezbollah could consider it “a part of the war” and strike it were it to allow the IDF to use logistical infrastructure in the country to attack Lebanon.

“Opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon would mean that the Cypriot government is part of the war, and the resistance will deal with it as part of the war,” he said.

A drone was used to warn Israel that Hezbollah knows exactly where to strike and inferred that Israel can’t stop them:

Following Hezbollah’s publication on Tuesday of footage allegedly filmed from one of its reconnaissance drones flying over northern Israel, Nasrallah claimed that the terror group has hours of such footage and of information about sensitive military targets inside Israel, including some that are located far from the northern border.

Among such targets are military bases and headquarters located deep inside Israeli territory, some of which have been camouflaged but were uncovered by Hezbollah’s drones, Nasrallah claimed.

Israel responded to his claims:

On Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi downplayed the publication of the drone footage, saying the IDF is “preparing and building solutions to deal with such capabilities,” and possesses “infinitely more powerful capabilities” that Hezbollah is not aware of.

Apparently, Nasrallah thinks he knows that and is still claiming to have superior powers:

In his speech, Nasrallah claimed that Israeli military leaders have known since October 8 that some of the sensitive targets inside Israeli territory would be targeted.

Among such targets, Nasrallah mentioned the Mount Meron air traffic control base, which in his words represented an “aspirational target” in the 2006 Second Lebanon War, and today is fully within reach of Hezbollah’s projectiles.

He further alleged that the terror group has developed and keeps manufacturing new missiles and drones, and that its human and military resources are greater than they have ever been.

They have been a diversion this whole time:

Due to Hezbollah’s continuous attacks, the IDF had been forced to divert resources from Gaza, Nasrallah said, noting that Israel has suffered huge economic losses as a result of the evacuation of towns on the northern border and the halt of agricultural and industrial activities in the area.

Despite the military and economic damage, Israeli leaders are not willing to admit the magnitude of the damage, Nasrallah added, in order not to put pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose priority remains the war against Hamas in Gaza.

Nasrallah mocked Israel for being weak:

The terror leader also mocked Israel for claiming to possess the strongest army in the region, noting that the IDF has not yet been able to completely dismantle Hamas forces in Rafah despite a ground operation that has lasted several weeks.

He went on to say that Israel needs to stop decimating Hamas and end the war:

“We will continue to support Gaza and we are ready for anything. We are not afraid. Our demand is clear: A complete and permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” Nasrallah said, arguing that the ceasefire agreement recently presented by US President Joe Biden to Hamas does not stipulate that the halt in fighting should be permanent.

“However, every day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes out and says that a ceasefire is impossible,” Nasrallah claimed. Taking a swipe at Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners Itamar Ben Gvir and Betzalel Smotrich, he predicted that they will “drag the enemy into the abyss.”

And because they keep referring to supporting Hamas, the success of the IDF against Hamas is the barometer. If Israel finds the leadership of Hamas and takes them out, expect a huge assault from all sides, including from the North.