The Hill News

The recent French decision to supply helicopter-borne anti-tank missiles to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) took on a level of importance far greater than it would have even just a year ago as an increasing number of Israeli military thinkers no longer see a meaningful distinction between it and Hezbollah.

Since the July-August 2006 war with Israel, Hezbollah’s military forces have operated with impunity in southern Lebanon, rebuilding their bunkers and fighting positions and replenishing their arsenal. The LAF’s unprovoked cross-border attack on an IDF patrol this past August confirmed for many Israelis that the line between the two largest militaries in Lebanon is blurred as well.

In turn, Israeli thinking about how to deal with Hezbollah, a full participant in the civilian Lebanese government, has evolved. As a result, it is likely that the next round of fighting between the two countries will see the Lebanon’s government and civilian infrastructure targeted by Jerusalem.

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