Israel runs military drills as it identifies Lebanon as 'biggest threat'

Lebanon's Hezbollah is the most significant military threat Israel faces in 2021, which will likely carry on in the future, the national Israeli newspaper, Israel Hayom, reported on Sunday citing official sources.

Although there is currently a mutual standstill between Israel and the Iran-backed group, Israeli security officials believe that tensions between the two sides are increasing and could even escalate to an all-out war. 

Israel has previously said that it does not want a war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah but that it was ready to face roughly 2,000 rockets per day if disputes break out. 

According to the report, the general belief among the Israeli defences is that the crisis in Lebanon may be a factor that will prevent Hezbollah from attacking, however, past experience has shown that internal crisis can sometimes instigate a confrontation. 

Israel has also just launched a week-long military drill on Sunday, to trial and prepare their defence in retaliating against unprecedented attacks, including "precise rockets firing, use of chemical weapons and cyberattacks", Anadolu Agency reported.

"Some aspects that we will be simulating in the exercise: the enemy's use of disorienting and sedating substances. We will check this out during the exercise," said the head of Israel's National Emergency Management Agency, Yoram Laredo.

Earlier in August, in what became the largest flare-up between Hezbollah and Israel since the 2006 Lebanon War, Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching at least ten rockets into Israel, prompting the Jewish state to then strike targets in southern Lebanon.

The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in a statement expressed his "deep concern over the recent escalation between Lebanon and Israel across the Blue Line, including the firing of missiles at the latter and the return of airstrikes and artillery fire on the former".