What Happens If Hezbollah Joins the War Against Israel?

Political experts believe that if Hezbollah joins the war against Israel, it could have catastrophic consequences for Israel.

Political experts and analysts from different think tanks in and out of Israel believe that if Hezbollah comes to the conclusion that it must go to war with Israel in support of Palestine, the consequences for Israel would be disastrous. In this regard, Sarit Zehavi and Shadi Khalloul, two analysts of the Alma Research Training Center in Israel, stated this Saturday that if Hezbollah joins the current war, the entire territory of Israel will be under the threat of missiles and drones. “In case of war with Hezbollah, Israel must expect a large number of casualties and serious damage to its strategic infrastructure,” Zehavi said.

Acknowledging Zehavi’s remarks, Shadi Khalloul also explained that when the war comes, “Hezbollah will also attack strategic gas platforms in Israel. Haifa’s ammonia tanks may also be targeted, their explosions can cause catastrophic damage like the one that exploded in Beirut port 3 years ago. In total, many strategic places such as Haifa port and other places in Tel Aviv will be targeted.”

Iron Dome can’t protect all of Israel

Iron Dome and other air defense systems that Israel has will be able to intercept 90 percent of the 4,000 to 6,000 rockets fired by Hezbollah daily, but the number of rockets that may hit Israeli residential areas will still be high, causing much damage and chaos. “Naturally, if Hezbollah enters the battle with Israel, both Hamas and Hezbollah will try to overcome the Iron Dome’s air defense by launching thousands of rockets in the shortest possible time to outnumber Iron Dome’s missiles,” Zehavi further noted.

The worrying thing about an attack by Hezbollah is that many Israelis do not have bomb shelters in their homes, and community shelters are not enough to house all the people. Furthermore, not all shelters are equipped and ready for a long-term confrontation.

Threat of tunnels for Israel

The Israeli army has discovered 6 infiltration attack tunnels on the borders of Israel and Lebanon in recent years. They have been blocked, but Hezbollah has announced that it has more tunnels that have not yet been found by the Israeli forces. Another threat for Israel is the explosive tunnels dug under residential areas and Israeli military bases. These tunnels are deep underground, undetected, and can be filled with explosives to be detonated at the right time, followed by offensive attacks, with the aim of taking civilians and soldiers hostage. If these explosions occur, they will have the equivalent of a 7-magnitude earthquake in those residential areas or military bases.

Can Hezbollah defeat Israel?

Hezbollah operates as both a political party and a militant group, which has 62 seats in the Lebanese parliament. Using 150,000 mortars, long-range missiles, more than 2,000 drones, about 30,000 fighters, and a good many precision-guided missiles, Hezbollah has the ability to wreak havoc on Israel’s civil society. In fact, they have more ammunition than many European armies. Hezbollah is therefore much more complex and larger than Hamas, and that Hezbollah’s huge stockpile of weapons should not be underestimated.

According to Fabian Hinz, a senior analyst at the International Center for Strategic Studies (IISS), Israel’s biggest advantage for decades has been having a highly advanced air force unmatched in the region. But now with drones, non-state actors like Hezbollah can identify Israel’s strategic depth and launch precise attacks. “In the event of a battle, if Hezbollah only sends four or five drones each time, they will most likely be shot down by Iron Dome. But if they really manage to launch a large number of drones and combine these attacks with the rapid firing of their rockets, the situation will change completely to Israel’s disadvantage,” Hinz said.