A senior IDF Northern Command” officer is being quoted anonymously in the media warning of a Hizbullah ground forces operation targeting the Galil in another Lebanon war. The report states “Dozens or hundreds” of fighters will be sent to take hold of territory in Israel motivated by a need for a propaganda victory.

The senior officer is unwilling to rule out the possibility of the presence of terror tunnels into N. Israel but adds to date, the military has not discovered any such tunnels to date. He warns that Hizbullah has been planning this for years as it gains experience in Syria.

Despite the threat and concerns, the officer feels there is no need to exaggerate the terrorist organization’s capabilities, adding there are 30,000 fighters so it cannot be compared to fighting a Syrian Army division.

According to the officer, “We will not able to defend the territory with zero success for the enemy any successes. If we decide to carry out a pre-emptive strike and capture territory in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah will probably not succeed. If the orders are not to cross the Blue Line [the Israel-Lebanon border], Hezbollah may be able to infiltrate into Israeli territory.”

In light of different factors, the IDF has adopted defense plans in the north and does fear Hizbullah taking control of areas in Israel.

Yisrael Hayom adds the Israeli defense establishment has identified the addition of the Burkan (Volcano) rocket to Hizbullah’s arsenal. The relatively short-range rocket (4 kilometers or 2.5 miles) carries a very large warhead, in some cases more than a ton, and could pose a serious threat to IDF positions in the north.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)