Resistance’s new strategy going ‘beyond Haifa’
While the Zionist regime, relying on the “Dahiya Doctrine,” attempted to change the balance of power in the northern occupied territories through a massive bombardment of Lebanon within a tight timeframe, the escalating attacks by Hezbollah have established a different reality in the current conflict. The deadliest attack by Hezbollah, which involved firing dozens of missiles at the regions of Nahariya and Akka on Sunday (Oct. 13) evening, managed to change the rules of engagement and establish a new equation in the war. It is noteworthy that the designation of this deadliest attack by Hebrew media, which reported four casualties, occurred under conditions of censorship. In this context, a former French army colonel and commander of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon stated in an interview with RT that Israel is denying the events. Hezbollah continues to shape the equation of “Haifa versus Dahiya” and, in the next step, “Tel Aviv versus Beirut,” with no day passing without the skies over Haifa being adorned with resistance missiles. While the escalating insecurity in the north hinders the goal of returning refugees, strategic areas like Haifa are also at risk of being evacuated. Accordingly, the Islamic Resistance of Lebanon has threatened that the occupied city of Haifa will become as uninhabited as other cities in northern occupied Palestine. Moreover, the Lebanese resistance has taken a step further by raising its threats, announcing that it will implement a new equation. In this regard, Sheikh Naeem Qassem, the deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah, emphasized: “In the new equation, as the martyr commander Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has requested, we will target Tel Aviv, Haifa, and beyond Haifa.”
By Faezeh Sadat Yousefi
Guest contributor
Changing balance of terror
The Zionist regime attempted to establish a level of balance of terror in its favor through successive strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon and by taking the initiative. However, the extensive counter-operations by the Lebanese resistance and the reactions of Israeli officials have shown that Israel’s strategy of maintaining a balance of terror against Hezbollah has backfired. Attacks on strategic centers, along with direct hits by missiles on targeted banks, have proven the inefficiency of defense systems and instilled fear within the occupied territories.
Following Hezbollah’s successful combined operations against the Israeli base in southern Haifa, Herzi Halevi, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, described the drone attack during his visit to the Golani Brigade base, which was targeted, as serious and painful. Yoav Galant, the Israeli Minister of Defense, during his visit to the same base, emphasized the necessity of defending against these drones, reflecting the regime’s fear of resistance drones.
Other variables have also played a role in changing this balance, including:
Inefficiency of defensive systems: The Zionist regime, which measures its success in war by claiming the protection of its defense systems, now faces an unbelievable reality due to the precise strikes of missiles and drones from the resistance hitting strategic targets and infrastructures. The inefficiency of these defense systems has broken down the defensive structure, placing the entire area of the occupied territories under the threat of resistance. The introduction of the American THAAD defense system into Israel’s defensive architecture is also an attempt to compensate for this inefficiency.
Lack of deterrence: While the Zionist regime relied on the “Dahiya Doctrine” to attempt to quickly alter the balance of power in northern occupied territories through extensive attacks on Lebanon, the escalating attacks by Hezbollah have established a different reality in the current conflict. The deadliest attack by Hezbollah, which involved firing dozens of missiles at the regions of Nahariya and Akka on Sunday evening under the code name “Labayka ya Nasrallah,” was able to change the rules of engagement and establish a new equation. It is important to note that the designation of this attack as the deadliest by Hebrew media, which reported four casualties, occurred under conditions of censorship.
In this context, a former French army colonel and commander of UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, during an interview with RT, pointed out Israel’s secrecy regarding casualty figures, stating that the regime is in denial about the events. Hezbollah continues to shape the equation of “Haifa versus Dahiya” and, in the next phase, “Tel Aviv versus Beirut,” with days passing without the skies over Haifa being adorned with resistance missiles. While the increase in insecurity in the north has hindered the goal of returning refugees, other strategic areas, such as Haifa, are also at risk of depopulation. Accordingly, the Islamic Resistance of Lebanon threatened that the occupied city of Haifa would become uninhabited like other cities in northern occupied Palestine.
However, the Lebanese resistance has taken it a step further by escalating its threats and announcing that it will implement a new equation. In this regard, Sheikh Naeem Qassem, the deputy secretary-general of Hezbollah, stated, “In the new equation, just as the martyr commander Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah requested, we will target Tel Aviv, Haifa, and beyond Haifa.” This is in conjunction with the Israeli army and the expansion of threats against the occupying regime.
A Glimpse of Hezbollah’s capabilities: After assassinating Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah and several Hezbollah commanders, the Zionist regime continued its ongoing attacks on Dahiya in Beirut, believing that Hezbollah’s structure had collapsed. However, the Lebanese resistance initiated a new phase of war against the regime following the Israeli airstrikes on Dahiya. Large-scale attacks using advanced weapons, based on precise operational planning deep within occupied territories and targeting key positions of the regime, such as the port of Haifa, are part of the actions in this phase.
On the other hand, Hezbollah manages the second phase of the war, the ground war in southern Lebanon, through guerrilla operations, preventing the expected advances of the Israeli army. Therefore, the Lebanese resistance continues to maintain its striking power against the Zionist regime while also elevating its levels of confrontation, executing operations more decisively and effectively. Meanwhile, the increasing casualty figures among the Zionists and the panicked reactions from their officials serve as evidence of the success and impact of these attacks, indicating that Hezbollah has maintained its capabilities even after targeting its leaders.
Intelligence and security failures
Alongside the military blows received from the resistance and Hezbollah in recent days, the Zionist regime is also experiencing intelligence failures in its psychological war against the resistance. The unsuccessful assassination attempt of Wafiq Safa and the fruitless attack on the Mezzeh area of Damascus to target resistance commanders, as well as the misinformation regarding the commander of the Quds Force, General Qaani, are examples of this. Additionally, the inability to intercept resistance projectiles and the element of surprise in their attacks highlight another aspect of the Zionist regime’s intelligence and security failures.
Quagmire of survival threats
“The massacre of people” has been the only outcome for the Zionist regime since the onset of the Gaza war and its expansion to Lebanon. The Zionists now find themselves in a position of failure to achieve their declared objectives, such as the destruction or even containment of Hamas, the release of prisoners, and the forced displacement of people. Despite a year of heavy bombardment and the occupation of the Gaza Strip, they are closer than ever to a complete defeat. This situation prompted Netanyahu to rename the war as the “Resurrection War,” emphasizing its existential importance for the regime’s survival. Moreover, current assessments indicate that the escalation of the war by the regime will only further entrench the Zionists in the quagmire of failure, thereby threatening their existence even more. Following Hezbollah’s deadly operations, the Israeli media outlet Haaretz warned that Israel’s false pride and arrogance would have catastrophic consequences for the regime and the region.
Inability in calculations
The 38 operations carried out by the Lebanese resistance within 24 hours, one of which targeted the Golani Brigade, not only affirm Hezbollah’s internal power stability but also reveal the confusion and weakness in the regime’s calculations. The Zionists currently have no assessment of when the war will end and are resorting solely to a strategy of crime and slaughter to eliminate perceived threats. The Guardian noted that the Zionist regime lacks a strategic outlook for its future and militaristic ambitions, and the current conditions will have dire consequences for the regime. Amidst the confusion among the officials of the Zionist regime and the absence of a coherent plan to overcome the crises, the Lebanese resistance has yet to fully utilize all its capabilities in the current battle.