ALBAWABA - The former chief of Mossad's intelligence and operations, Haim Tomer, issued a dire warning in a recent interview, stating that war with Hezbollah may seriously damage Israel's economy, society, and reputation abroad.
In an interview with "Israel Hayom," Tomer said that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are now ill-prepared to confront the growing danger posed by Hezbollah to Israel. He emphasized that a protracted military confrontation with Hezbollah may endanger the fundamental Zionist vision of Israel.
Tomer forewarned that Hezbollah's missile arsenal, which included targets like the airports at Ben Gurion and Haifa, may immobilize Israel for weeks. Major towns like as Acre, Haifa, Tiberias, and maybe Tel Aviv, he said, would suffer destruction akin to that of Kiryat Shmona and the Galilee in previous wars.
Tomer claims that Hezbollah has between 100,000 and 150,000 warheads in its arsenal and can fire 1,500 rockets a day in the early stages of a fight. This includes highly accurate missiles that could quickly destroy Israel's gas fields.
He also noted that the Israeli Air Force's freedom of action above Lebanon is now limited by sophisticated surveillance equipment that Iran has provided to Hezbollah. He said that Hezbollah's tactical intelligence is on par with Israel's, if not superior than it.
Tomer emphasized that the battle tactics and overall military capability of both Hamas and Hezbollah had improved dramatically.
In closing, he said that Israel was at a crucial crossroads. The country has to decide whether to embrace US President Joe Biden's suggestion, which would buy a significant amount of time, or risk a possibly catastrophic protracted conflict.
