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Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant cautioned Hezbollah’s new leader, Naim Qassem, on Tuesday, claiming that his recent appointment might be “not for long.” This comment lays bare the fraught relationship between Israel and Hezbollah, indicating that Israel is closely monitoring developments and may take action against perceived aggression from the group.
“Temporary appointment. Not for long,” Gallant wrote in a post on X alongside a photograph of Qassem, whom Hezbollah had earlier named as assassinated leader Hassan Nasrallah’s successor. In a separate post in Hebrew, Gallant wrote that the “countdown has begun”.
While touring the Israeli military’s northern command on Tuesday, Yoav Gallant expressed confidence in the effectiveness of recent military operations.
In a follow-up statement, he estimated that Hezbollah’s rocket arsenal has suffered significant destruction due to Israeli attacks, reflecting Israel’s strategic efforts to diminish the group’s offensive capabilities.
“I estimate the residual capacity of (Hezbollah) projectiles and rockets to be in the order of 20 percent, and it is no longer organised in a way that it can fire volleys,” he said.
The military reported that around 60 projectiles were fired into Israel by Hezbollah on Tuesday, with the attacks noted as of 15:00 (1300 GMT). This escalation raises alarms about the potential for further conflict and the ongoing instability in the region.
Hezbollah’s rocket fire has reportedly ranged between 180 and 200 rockets on certain days in recent weeks, according to information from the Israeli military. This escalation underscores the deteriorating security situation along the border and the potential for further military confrontation.
Read also: Naim Qassem Succeeds Slain Leader As Hezbollah’s Deputy
The military has also carried out intense air strikes on Hezbollah’s weapons production and storage facilities inside Lebanon.
Gallant said that tens of thousands of soldiers had succeeded in pushing Hezbollah “out of all the villages along the border and destroyed infrastructure of all types that were there”.
“These things create a different reality in Lebanon and in the region as well”, he said.
Regional analysts have said previously that Hezbollah possessed an arsenal of approximately 150,000 rockets before it began fighting Israel on its northern border in October last year following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, on Israel.
It has an unspecified number of anti-aircraft, anti-tank, and anti-ship missiles as well as ballistic missiles capable of accurately targeting deep inside Israeli territory.
