Israelische Militäranalystin: Für Israel ist jetzt die Zeit anzugreifen, nicht für einen Waffenstill

Welcome to the Epoch Times Podcast with the topic, War in Lebanon. Israeli military analyst, for Israel now is the time to attack, not for a ceasefire. An article by Dan Amberger and Oliver Signors from October 3, 2024. The war that Israel is waging in the north of Lebanon against the Hezbollah will demand a lot from the armed forces, explains Israeli military analyst Sarit Zahavi. The organization is the strongest force in Lebanon and operates a shadow state there. Zahavi does not support a ceasefire that the international community is calling for. It was not Lebanon that fired more than 9,300 missiles at Israel last year. That was the Hezbollah, which on October 8, 2023, to support the Hamas invasion and the massacre of Israelis, The Hezbollah acts like a state within the Lebanese state. Their military is in some respects paramilitary, in others, however, like a conventional army, described the American intelligence agency CIA. Israel's widespread attacks may bring some Lebanese to turn against the Hezbollah, but were not their basis. The Hezbollah is an ex-officer of the military intelligence service of the IDF, whose Alma Security Institute specializes in the northern border. The Hezbollah controls parts of the country where Shiites prevail. This includes the Bekaa Valley in the northeast, parts of the Beirut metropolitan area and the south of Lebanon along the border to Israel. Many of the Shiites who live there, They are the replacement for the Christians expelled by the Hezbollah, who count Israel as their ally. According to Sahabi, the Hezbollah has been providing food, health care and education there for years. They are the government in the parts of Lebanon, which they control. Of course not officially, she continues. Over the years, people have become dependent on them. Represented in parliament and on bureaucratic posts. As a counter-performance, the Hezbollah indoctrinated young and recruited people, in whose houses they hid rockets. This has become clear in the attacks on Israel in recent days. Videos showed secondary explosions in many houses, as the weapons stored in them overheated and detonated. Quote. The Hezbollah is well represented in the Lebanese parliament and in the federal bureaucracy, Sahabi reports. This is how the minister for public affairs is associated with the Hezbollah. His ministry controls the Lebanese airports, as well as the border to Syria and, as a result, the immigrants. Weapons are smuggled into the country across the border. The minister supports this, instead of pushing a barricade, Sahabi criticizes. According to the CIA, the Hezbollah was founded in 1982, as a reaction to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in the same year. Its members were supporters of the Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini, and now followed his successor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In addition, they had close ties to the Assad regime in Syria. At first, they wanted to free southern Lebanon from the Israeli occupiers. The occupation ended in 2000. By now, the goal of the Hezbollah was to destroy the Jewish state. Their fighters had gained a lot of experience during the military confrontations in Syria, according to Sahabi. Quote, this makes them a serious opponent for the IDF, more than it was the Hamas in Gaza. Because they were better armed and trained, as well as more experienced than the Hamas. The hilly terrain in Lebanon, Sahabi calls it a challenge for Israel. Up to 100,000 fighters? When it comes to the number of fighters, the estimates are far apart. While the CIA estimates from 7,000 to 12,000, anonymous sources call a force of 100,000 fighters, according to Sahabi. This is not a walk, and the Israelis know that, said the former Israeli officer. After the Pager attacks of the past few weeks, many Lebanese have fled. The streets in the direction of the north have been overcrowded, she reports in a video interview with Epoch Times on September 26, 2024. Sahabi said that sirens sounded all day long and missiles were fired at the area, where she was staying. An improvement for the IDF compared to the Gaza war was the larger area of Lebanon and the larger amount of open space. When asked if she was afraid, she replied, the attitude of the international community is frightening. Sahabi referred to a letter of the international community on September 25, in which a ceasefire of 21 days is demanded. Among the US and the EU are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan and leading European nations such as France, Germany, Italy and Great Britain. Quote, This is what scares us. We have been under fire for a year, but as soon as we defend ourselves, they want a ceasefire without promising anything for our security. They do not mention the Hezbollah. Quote, The Hezbollah has expanded their air attacks in recent weeks. From October 7, 60,000 Israelis have been called upon to evacuate the border communities, partly because the Hezbollah planned similar attacks on Israeli civilians, but also out of fear of their missile fire. The Hezbollah has estimated 150,000 missiles. However, tens of thousands have already destroyed Israel. But the latest use of missiles of greater range is now endangering about 1.5 million Israelis. Hezbollah could re-form during ceasefire. Zahabi, who is used to looking at the border situation pragmatically and who earlier called for caution in the question of an invasion into Lebanon to fight the Hezbollah, admitted that her own views had become tougher and more combative. She was encouraged by the Israeli success of the Hezbollah in recent weeks. She called the attacks on pagers and radios, the shutdown of Hezbollah leaders such as Fuad Choukri and Ibrahim Akvil, the air attacks on houses where weapons were stored, and the like. For Israel, it is now time to attack the Hezbollah and not for a 21-day ceasefire, so Zahabi. If Israel would accept it, the Hezbollah would have three weeks to re-form, even if the probability that the Hezbollah would give in would be lower. Therefore, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the proposal immediately. Quote, If we agree to a ceasefire, there will be no realistic agreement, believes the former officer. After she had heard of the letter in which the international community called for a ceasefire, Zahabi said, I felt left out by the international community. They are our soldiers, our sons, our fathers, our husbands. Should they sacrifice their lives for a ceasefire under 21 days? That makes no sense. Quote, Israel must force Hezbollah to negotiate. Israel must play out its advantage against the Hezbollah and force them to negotiate. It offers their homeland a better starting position. The access of Hamas to humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip weakens Israel's position when it comes to the return of its hostages, she said. The offers of the international community sound hollow, Zahabi criticized. The implementation of the UN Resolution 1701 is being called for. This was approved in 2006 during the Lebanon War. The center was a solution to the military conflict. Hezbollah and Israel should commit to retreating their forces over the Litani River, about 10 miles north of the Israeli border. However, the resolution was never passed and ignored by both parties. Quote, We don't want another fiction like 1701, Zahabi said. It was a lie. Now is the time for an attack.