SETH J FRANTZMAN: The only way to neutralise Hezbollah is to send in the tanks

Hezbollah has spent years turning confederate Lebanon into a fortress bristling with a formidable array of firepower.

The Muslim Shi'ite towns it draws its fighters from and the Christian villages it uses arsenic screen for its murderous ­campaigns are location to a immense stockpile of much than 150,000 rockets.

What's more, it has had years to make a blase web of ­tunnels and reflection posts successful the hilly terrain that runs on Israel's bluish border.

And successful the 11 months since Hamas launched the raid from Gaza that killed 1,200 Israelis past October, Hezbollah has maintained a adjacent changeless ­barrage of rocket attacks – involving nary less than 8,000 rockets – and 60,000 Israelis were evacuated from the country past year.

Benjamin Netanyahu's authorities has vowed to instrumentality these radical to their homes, but that tin lone beryllium done erstwhile the menace of attacks by Hezbollah has been neutralised.

And that tin lone beryllium achieved by a crushed cognition involving Israeli tanks, infantry, and peculiar forces equipped with swarms of drones ­crossing the borderline into Lebanon.

Some of the much excitable commentators would person you judge this could trigger the commencement of World War III but, arsenic idiosyncratic who's covered the activities of Hezbollah and Iran's different proxies successful the portion for a decade, I tin archer you that is nonsense.

But, having made regular visits to bluish Israel since the Hamas atrocity, 1 happening I cognize for definite is that nary ceasefire statement with Hezbollah is worthy the insubstantial it's written on.

In the aftermath of the 2006 warfare betwixt Israel and Hezbollah, for example, the presumption of UN Resolution 1701 restricted Hezbollah to territory northbound of the Litani River, which runs 15 to 20 miles northbound of the border.

This meant that Israel would beryllium retired of scope of its anti-tank guided rocket fire, the weaponry Hezbollah has utilized to people Israeli communities on the border. It would besides forestall Hezbollah from carrying retired an October 7-style astonishment attack. Has Hezbollah abided by this ­agreement? Of people not.

Prior to the Hamas incursion, Israel was preparing for the anticipation that Hezbollah's well-trained elite Radwan Force would motorboat attacks connected Israel astatine points on the 50-mile bluish ­border successful a bid to prehend immoderate of the tiny Israeli communities that dot the ridges on the frontline. In the event, Hezbollah has contented itself with its relentless rocket ­bombardment, ­vowing to proceed these attacks arsenic agelong arsenic the Gaza warfare continues.

And it is lone 1 constituent of Iran's multi-front warfare connected Israel, which includes militias successful Iraq and the ­Houthis successful Yemen. These groups not lone onslaught Israel itself but people commercialized ships sailing done the portion and U.S. forces successful Iraq and Syria.

Hezbollah is unwilling to basal down without an bid from Tehran and the virulently anti-Semitic mullahs who tally Iran are blessed to support sending Lebanese Shi'ites to their deaths.

In specified a context, a crushed warfare looks progressively likely. And Israel has spent years grooming its service for conscionable specified an eventuality.

Only this week, the 7th Armoured Brigade of the Israel Defence Force (IDF) completed its preparations for an penetration of confederate Lebanon. Just a fewer miles from the Lebanese border, troops were trained successful 'manoeuvring and combat successful thicketed, mountainous terrain', according to the IDF.

As Israel's troops person seen pugnacious ­combat successful Gaza, they are astir apt the champion prepared they person been successful ­decades.

But superior challenges prevarication ahead.

Iran's proxies person started to intensify their attacks. Iraqi militias launched drones astatine the confederate Israeli larboard metropolis of Eilat connected September 25. One reached its people portion different was changeable down.

Drones and missiles don't triumph wars, however, and Israel has highly effectual aerial defences to combat conscionable specified a threat. Nor is Iran apt to hazard a large determination warfare by entering the fray itself.

Instead, Tehran volition effort to diplomatically isolate Israel, arsenic its caller president attempted to bash this week astatine the UN General Assembly.

If Israel wants Hezbollah to determination disconnected the hills that place Israel southbound of the Litani, it looks progressively apt that it volition request to usage tanks and infantry.

Seth J. Frantzman is an ­analyst astatine The Jerusalem Post, an Adjunct Fellow astatine The Foundation For Defence Of Democracies and writer of The October 7th War: ­Israel's Battle For Security In Gaza.