The possibility of swarms of infiltrating drones along with missiles and mortar fire on Israel’s northern border isn’t a far-fetched scenario, said IDF Brig.-Gen. (res.) Zvika Haimovich amid ongoing tensions with Lebanon.
Speaking to Radio North 104.5FM, Haimovich, former air defense chief, said, “It’s true that what’s happening in the North can be called a drone war. It’s not the main thing Hezbollah uses, but they do have the ability to use it, while our side has a weakness.”
He continued, “We remember what happened in December where [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah said that peace in the South would mean peace in the North, but we’re still waiting for a deal…. Whether we wanted to or not, we also linked the fighting in the North and South.”
This, Haimovich said, has led to the conflict spiraling and spreading, with the drones spotted in Nahariya and Acre being a result.
What about missiles fired at Eilat and missiles launched from Iraq, and more?
“We have maintained the same mantra since the first week after October 7. In this multi-front war, Hamas is not the main issue. The key may be the war in Gaza, but Iran is what is behind everything.”
The interview further discussed if Hamas and Hezbollah would launch an attack similar to the attack launched by Iran. One day, dozens of missiles and drones may come and the IDF won’t be able to stop all of it, or be able to prevent casualties in places like Haifa and Hadera.
“In order for us to suffer something like October 7, it doesn’t take something like an invasion of 3,000 terrorists,” Haimovich said. “It could also be a swarm of dozens or hundreds of drones, like on April 14 [when Iran attacked].
“April 14 is kind of like October 7. We need to look and ask what kind of October 7-like scenario we’ll be facing. [Being attacked by Hamas and Hezbollah like Iran did] isn’t far-fetched. Barrages of heavy gunfire and missiles, and a swarm of UAVs, isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Such capabilities can be found on all sides.”
But does Israel have the ability to deal with this?
“Israel has capabilities that no other country in the world has: Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow-3,” Haimovich explained, adding “It’s always a combination of defense and offense. Knowing how to intercept them in the air but also attack launch sites. Time is running out for us, but sometimes it’s better late than never.”
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