Giora Eiland: "Nasrallah doesn't admit - they are in distress, they want a ceasefire""

March 12, 2024   

Retired Major General Giora Eiland, former head of the National Security Council, addressed the security situation on the northern border in an interview with Radio North 104.5FM today (Tuesday). He said, "This is not a full-scale war. There is no doubt that there is a slow but fairly constant process of escalation here. This is reflected from Hezbollah's perspective, mainly in terms of quantity. It is firing more and at additional areas, but most of its firing is not very effective. The IDF is much more effective. We are firing at Baalbek, for the second time - which is the second most important place for the Shiites after Beirut." He added: "Tactically, Hezbollah is paying much higher prices. Of course, it does not admit this and there is quite a bit of distress there. Hezbollah would have liked us to reach a ceasefire in the south or an end to the war. It is not interested in continuing the skirmish with us, but it is committed to a sentence it said a long time ago, that as long as there is a war in the south, it will fight too." Eiland referred to the southern front and said: "The war in the south is not only consequential, we can also determine it. All over the world - from Hamas to Egypt and Biden - everyone will be happy for us to say that we are ending the war. But only Israel will decide when the war in the south ends." According to him, "One option is to say that the reality is bad, but the damage can be contained and the number of casualties in the fighting with Hezbollah is relatively small and we will wait to see whether there is a ceasefire in the south or not, whether there will be a hostage deal, or wait another two or three months. "There is also the possibility of reaching an agreement with Hezbollah that will ultimately allow us to return the residents safely to their homes - the chance of such an agreement is about 30%, it is small but it is not negligible. Another option is that we do not have the ability and patience to remain in this situation and therefore let's go to war here and now. The dilemma exists and is being discussed in the higher systems. This is a very big tension." He further noted: "There is a possibility that is not being addressed and it is worrying that if we reach a campaign in the north due to one reason or another - what is the problem? It is with the Americans. They do not want a war in Lebanon at all. Let's say a peak of tension that will be inevitable and they will understand, they will tell us to fight only against Hezbollah, that is a recipe for an Israeli defeat." He emphasized: "Israel does not know how to defeat Hezbollah but the state of Lebanon, by seriously damaging Lebanese infrastructure and Beirut, which is the center of life. It will be a disaster, because they will say to Hezbollah, 'Why did you bring such a disaster on us because of one Gazan called Sinwar?' The discussion today about what kind of war there will be in the north is not taking place, and when it does not take place, we are in a problem and may fight with one hand tied.".