For the past nine months, Hezbollah has been struggling to protect its members from targeted Israeli strikes. As the conflict continues, the group faces an uphill battle in shielding terror leaders and prominent operatives from the IDF’s superior intelligence and targeting abilities.
The elimination of three top terror commanders and dozens of field operatives exposed Hezbollah’s inability to seal intel gaps that allow Israel to target leading terrorists. Defense Minister Gallant said earlier that half of Hezbollah’s commanders in southern Lebanon have been killed.
According to Israeli data the IDF elimiated hundreds of operatives in Lebanon, including over 30 commanders, and wounded 1,500 terrorists.
In a desperate bid to foil the IDF’s pinpoint attacks, Hezbollah uses coded messages, landline phones, and pagers to avoid Israel’s advanced electronic surveillance technology. However, these efforts have proven largely ineffective.
The IDF employ a range of sophisticated tools including cameras, remote sensors, and drones to monitor areas where Hezbollah operates. Israel’s cyber capabilities and cutting-edge intel processing machines further supplement this vast surveillance arsenal.
Moreover, the IDF took steps to upgrade its ability to eliminate terror commanders in Lebanon. The army formed a dedicated intel team that works with the Air Force to identify, track and attack senior Hezbollah members, N12 News reported.
Hezbollah’s mounting toll
Middle East expert Amatzia Baram told Maariv Online that Israel eliminated “an entire command echelon of Hezbollah, and it hurts them.” He added that the assassination of senior commanders undermines Hezbollah’s operational capabilities and embarrasses the group.
“The fact that the IDF locates their senior commanders without difficulty hurts their morale,” Baram said.
Hezbollah claims that these losses have no effect on its determination to continue its war of attrition against Israel, but the mounting toll will likely diminish the group’s strength, an N12 report estimates.
The IDF eliminated experienced field commanders and unit leaders who played crucial roles in developing weapons, arms smuggling and carrying out attacks, the report says.
During a recent tour of northern Israel, IDF Chief Herzi Halevi emphasized the value of these pinpoint strikes. “I think the assassinations are very important,” he stated, adding that Hezbollah is having a hard time coping with its losses.
Halevi also praised the IDF Northern Command, Air Force and Intel Branch for their effective work in detecting and eliminating numerous Hezbollah members.
In parallel, Israel continues to prepare for a shift from low-intensity warfare on the northern front to a large-scale conflict with Hezbollah.
