A Game of Chicken in the North

Last weekend, in the wake of the IDF’s elimination of a Hezbollah operative, the Northern Command braced for a reprisal.

“Neither side is interested in escalation, but the IDF is prepared on every level to counter a retaliatory move, and to exact a heavy price,” a senior figure in the Northern Command tells Mishpacha. “Israel takes Nasrallah’s vow seriously that the terror group won’t gloss over the death of a Hezbollah operative, including his remark that retaliation will come from Lebanese territory.”

The tensions began Monday last week, after an airstrike attributed to Israel killed a Hezbollah operative. This was a rare event, as most attacks attributed to Israel in recent years haven’t liquidated Hezbollah personnel. The IDF’s preparations for retribution surprised those familiar with Lebanese affairs. Israel denied reports that the IDF delivered a formal apology to Hezbollah for the operative’s death.

“We didn’t turn to the UN,” said a senior Northern Command officer. “If Nasrallah strikes us, we’ll strike him. He’s in a worse position than ever before. He doesn’t have money for electricity, and Lebanon is in a very bad place, almost as bad as during the civil war in the ’70s. The Lebanese lira is valued at 1,500 to $1. Electricity is available for only a few hours every day.”