Former IDF Air Defense commander Brig.-Gen. (res.) Zvika Haimovich voiced his skepticism about Israel’s current military strategy against Hezbollah in a Sunday Maariv interview, in which he explained that Israel’s recent strikes on the terror group do not align with the government’s war goals to restore the North.
Haimovich’s interview came following rising tensions after the double Hezbollah device explosion attack that took place last week throughout Lebanon and the Israeli strike in Beruit, which killed Hezbollah Radwan Force chief Ibrahim Aqil, among other significant terrorists.
Simultaneously, Israel’s cabinet has also created a goal to restore the evacuated residents of the North to their homes. Haimovich questioned how the goal to restore the North would be possible following such tactical moves on Israel’s part.
“We’ve seen cyber and psychological operations on Tuesday and Wednesday, and on Friday, the targeted killing of Ibrahim Aqil. But the question is, are these tactical actions really part of achieving the larger goal?”
Additionally, Haimovich addressed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s televised Thursday speech, in which Nasrallah vowed to get revenge on Israel for the double device explosion attack.
“For the first time, Nasrallah admitted, ‘We suffered the hardest blow.’ But just a moment later, he doubled down on his long-standing position since the war began: Israel is caught in a multi-front conflict. His doctrine is clear—if Gaza is quiet, Hezbollah will hold fire as well. For him, the war of attrition is the right path.”
Haimovich stressed that while Israel’s tactical operations have been impressive, they are not enough to force Nasrallah into a truce. “These actions, successful as they are, won’t change his position.”
An alternative approach
Haimovich went on to discuss Israel’s broader military approach, arguing that more decisive actions would be needed to create a shift in the situation.
“Israel has already broken some of the old paradigms with its offensive actions, like the strikes in Dahiya [Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut]. But now we need to ask, how do we build on this? There’s a middle ground between a full-scale ground maneuver and a war of attrition. What we’re doing now doesn’t fit either.”
Haimovich instead proposed a more focused strategy, providing the example that “Israel could take control of southern Lebanon without crossing into Beirut or Baalbek. There are thousands of Hezbollah targets in that area, both above and below ground, and they hold long-range, precision-guided weapons. We could strike hundreds of these targets over the course of five or six days—that would send a strong message. But the current, smaller-scale tactical strikes won’t push Nasrallah from his entrenched position.”
Haimovich also highlighted the complexity of the situation across multiple fronts. “We need to understand that Gaza is not the key to resolving this. It’s just a temporary distraction, a way to separate the northern and southern theaters. The real focus should be on the North and the broader regional picture, especially regarding Iran.”
Israel must prepare for escalations
Furthermore, Haimovich criticized the gap between Israel’s public declarations and military actions, saying, “We’ve entered the second phase in the North, but we haven’t clearly communicated that Gaza is now secondary. The primary front is the North. This mismatch between what’s said and what’s done creates confusion.”
Haimovich argued that Israel needs to clarify its objectives and strategy.
“We need to ask ourselves, what are our goals, and what strategic steps are we taking to achieve them? If we don’t adjust our approach, the war of attrition will continue.”
However, Haimovich warned that Israel must be ready for a response from Hezbollah that breaks the current “unwritten rules” between the two sides.
“We need to prepare for the possibility that Hezbollah will strike beyond the usual scope—whether that’s drones targeting Haifa, national infrastructure in places like Hadera or Tel Aviv, or a combination of the two. We must also stay alert to other potential fronts, as I believe there is coordination between Iran and Hezbollah. Any response could include unresolved issues from Iran as well,” Haimovich warned.
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