(by Andrea Pinto) We have doubled the precision missiles aimed at Israelthe Hezbollah leader in Lebanon told pro-Hezbollah television. The interview lasted four hours and many argue that it was released to cheer up the group's followers after the most disastrous year for Lebanon since the civil war. The collapse of the economy and the explosion of the port of Beirut in August have skewed the image of the group which has also seen the hostility of the main political factions increase despite Hezbollah's known influence within the Lebanese government. Hezbollah in Lebanon is supported by Shiite communities in the south and the Bega Valley.
In recent months, Hezbollah has wanted to keep a low profile. It did not react as Israel repeatedly bombed its positions on supply lines from Iran via Syria. On Christmas Day, some jets, presumed to be Israeli, flew low over Beirut after launching some missiles on some key bases in Syria used by Iran for the development of weapons. While such attacks are nothing new, the fact that the missiles were visible as they were launched could be read as a warning to city residents living with Hezbollah groups hiding in the suburbs. Last year, in addition to hitting Syria, the Israelis attacked Lebanon itself, using drones to hit a bunker in southern Beirut which, according to their intelligence, was storing an important component for the production of precision-guided missiles. Israel in its reports estimated that of the 100.000 missiles in Hezbollah's possession, only a few dozen could be guided with precision. Hezbollah's targets included government buildings, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) headquarters in Tel Aviv, the Dimona nuclear reactor, and other military and civilian targets.
Israel therefore had to reinforce its missile defense. This month, the IDF announced it had for the first time conducted a simultaneous test of its three "tiers" of the missile defense system..
The levels are codenamed Iron Dome, David's Sling e Arrow and defend against short-range missiles and drones, medium-range and cruise missiles, and long-range ballistic missiles, respectively.
In the meantime, Hezbollah has not even reacted to the death last July of one of its best-known fighters following an Israeli bombing in Syria. The terrorist group has lost hundreds of men fighting for President Assad. There has been no reaction from either Hezbollah or Iran to the US killing of General Qasem Soleimani on January 3, although President Nasrallah has said more than once that Iran does not he forgot it, declaring that "revenge is on the way no matter how long it takes."
Probably Hezbollah before returning to fight is waiting to know the new lines of American foreign policy with the inauguration of the new president Joe Biden.