Israel faces threats from all sides – analysis

News » Arab-Israeli conflict

A recent incident near the Megiddo junction, where an explosive device was detonated on Highway 65, raises many questions. According to official reports, the Israeli security forces stopped a car near Moshav Yaar on Route 899, in which the terrorist and the driver were. The terrorist posed a threat and was “neutralised”. He was carrying a weapon and an “explosive belt”.

This raises key questions about the various threats to Israel's security, as well as the Iranian-backed axis of factions that threaten the Jewish state. It is also a reminder of the complex asymmetric threats Israel faces – instead of large-scale terrorist attacks, Israel is increasingly facing numerous disparate groups.

The pro-Iranian media waited until the details of the incident in the north were known in Israel to discuss the story. This points to the fact that Hezbollah and pro-Iranian groups do not claim responsibility for the incident and did not attempt to make it public.
Israel assesses that the terrorist crossed the Lebanese border.

“The terrorist stopped the car and asked the driver to give him a lift to the north”, – reported to the IDF. “The attack is being thoroughly investigated, the possibility of involvement of the Hezbollah terrorist army is being considered.

Participation of “Hezbollah” will be a major escalation. But why would a terrorist group send one person with an improvised explosive device, a rifle and a handgun across the border to carry out this kind of attack? This is a big risk for the organization. The attack does not look well planned or thought out. Why risk exposing Hezbollah's role by sending a sophisticated IED that can be traced back to Iranian-backed groups?

Iran plays a key role in the use of some types of explosive devices. He supplied the Iraqi factions with explosive EFP projectiles. “Hezbollah” has been using such explosives to defeat Israeli forces for many years. “Hezbollah” not only supplied the Iraqi militias, the technology also ended up with the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. This means that explosive technologies often spread through channels and networks and can be associated with various groups.

“Hezbollah” continues to threaten Israel for many years. A new maritime agreement signed last year was supposed to ease tensions. A new deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia could also lead to a reduction in tensions in Lebanon.
So why is “Hezbollah” raising tensions over a terrorist attack involving just one person? Does “Hezbollah” does he use explosive belts, or is this tactic more common among Hamas, jihadists, or ISIS? These are the key questions.

After the terrorist attack in the North and “neutralization” of the suspect, many aspects of the threat are unclear. It is not clear whether he was associated with Hezbollah, it remains open that he could be associated with other groups. Iran supports Hezbollah, but it also supports Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Iran is interested in supporting these groups and also threatens Israel from many directions. Tehran is interested in making the Israelis feel less protected. This means that he can use various means to threaten Israel.

Iranian media these days are more interested in stories about the Iran-Saudi deal and are convinced that the US and Israel are losing in the region. In addition, Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad met with President Vladimir Putin in Russia on Wednesday as news of the incident in the north broke. Will Iran, focused on big issues of diplomacy, want to provoke an incident with Israel involving a lone IED fighter?

The general context is that this is one of those threats to Israel that does not include large terrorist armies , but rather a series of small groups and incidents.

Follow us on Telegram