A third passage under Israel’s border with Lebanon was uncovered this week as the operation against Hezbollah attack tunnels continued.
Israel believes the tunnels — drilled underground through the Galilee rock — are part of a wider plan by Hezbollah to sneak large numbers of its forces and create mayhem, capture soldiers and civilians, and claim a military victory over Israel.
It is believed that further tunnels may exist.
The operation, which began on December 4, is complemented by an Israeli diplomatic offensive against Lebanon to convince other countries that the country has effectively been taken over by Hezbollah.
Anticipating a retaliation, Israel has reinforced its units on the border with two additional brigades and defence systems.
The border region has remained calm so far but the concern is that when the IDF Engineering Corps begin demolishing the tunnels, any damage caused on the Lebanese side of the border could serve as an incitement for Hezbollah to act.
Israeli intelligence assessments are that the Iranian-backed Shia movement is still recovering from the Syrian civil war, in which hundreds of its members were killed fighting for President Bashar al-Assad, and that it has no interest at this point in war with Israel.
But there are other issues at stake.
On a political level, Hezbollah is battling for its standing in the Lebanese parliament, where a coalition has yet to be formed, seven months since the elections.
On a military level, together with the Iranian Quds Force, it is in a shadow war with Israel over attempts to enhance its rocket arsenal.
Many Israeli analysts believe that the Iranian attempt to build a factory for more accurate ballistic missiles in Lebanon could ultimately spark off the next Lebanese war.
As part of its attempts to ward off such an eventuality, Israel has been quietly lobbying the Trump administration and other governments to recognise the fact that the government led by Saad Hariri in Beirut is not in control of the country.
Two weeks ago, in their meeting in Brussels, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to place sanctions on Lebanon as punishment for the tunnels from its territory to Israel.
The Americans refused, and agreed only to new sanctions on Hezbollah itself.
Officially, Israel says the responsibility for the Hezbollah tunnels in south Lebanon “is on the government of Lebanon” — but this week Naftali Bennett, the Education Minister and security cabinet member, went a step further, saying publicly: “Hezbollah equals Lebanon. Israel should no longer treat Hezbollah as a separate entity to Lebanon.”
