The war is also fought with psychological means, and Hezbollah knows this very well. A new propaganda video by the terrorist organization is apparently intended to show just how much military might the Shiite group has at its disposal. It shows Hezbollah fighters moving on motorcycles and trucks through a sprawling system of tunnels apparently carved into the rocks. They carry advanced missiles and enter coordinates on laptops. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who has been threatening to attack Israel since 2018, is also heard. The group can reach every corner of the country, it is clear from the propaganda video.
However, it seems to have been made in a game studio, and by a mediocre computer game developer, commented the video content ARD.
The purpose of this performance is to suggest that Hezbollah is ready for a confrontation with Israel – even without Iran, the Shiite group's direct ally, directly intervening in the conflict, retired Lebanese general Khalil Hamade told the German publication. After Israel killed a high-ranking Hezbollah commander, and then in an assassination attempt in Tehran, the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed, fears of a major war in the region increased.
Expert: Hezbollah is well prepared
But can Hezbollah wage such a war? – Yes, he thinks o.z. General Hamadeh. He claims that since the 2006 war, the terrorist organization's most serious conflict with Israel to date, the militia has built extensive tunnels and bunkers in the border area with Israel and greatly expanded its weapons arsenal: “Hezbollah now has significant access to Iranian precision-guided missiles“, says the ex-military.
The Shia militia is said to have over 150,000 missiles, including Iran's “Raad", “Fajr" and “Zelzal", as well as the Russian “Katyusha" and “Jar". In October, Hezbollah first shot down an Israeli drone over southern Lebanon with an anti-aircraft missile of unknown origin. Most of the weapons come from Russia and North Korea, and for some of them it is claimed that Iran has further developed them, ARD also points out on the subject.
Iran plays a key role
„Importing these weapons into Lebanon is relatively easy,” says Hamadeh, because Iranian militias control important land routes from Iran through Iraq and Syria. Not only that: Iran also plays a key role in training Hezbollah and other Tehran allies in the region.
As for whether and when Hezbollah and Iran would dare to attack Israel, experts differ significantly. If they are preparing a coordinated attack, such as a hail of rockets, such an attack could breach Israel's otherwise proven Iron Dome air defense system.
In short: fears that war in the Middle East could escalate remain high.
Author: Sabina Matai (ARD)