New Israeli Escalation: Zamir Orders Strikes Deep Inside Lebanon to Target Drone Factories

The Israeli occupation army announced a series of wide-ranging airstrikes targeting various areas in southern Lebanon, claiming to have destroyed dozens of Hezbollah sites. According to a military statement, the attacks included the destruction of approximately 70 buildings allegedly used for military purposes, in addition to 50 other infrastructure sites, despite a fragile ceasefire agreement being in effect.

In a significant development, media sources revealed instructions issued by the Chief of Staff of the occupation army, Eyal Zamir, to expand the targeting scope to include deep inside Lebanese territory. These orders come at a time when ceasefire understandings impose restrictions on military operations, limiting confrontations to only southern Lebanese areas.

Zamir's directive focused directly on the necessity of striking Hezbollah's production line of explosive drones, which have become a major security problem for the occupation. Through this strategy, the army seeks to shift the battle from attempting to intercept drones in the air to destroying them at their primary manufacturing and assembly centers.

There is widespread skepticism regarding the accuracy of Israeli intelligence information about the locations of these factories, and whether the previous abstention from striking them was due to technical or political reasons. Sources indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might override American reservations to carry out qualitative operations deep inside Lebanon to impose a new reality on the ground.

Observers believe that Zamir's moves are primarily aimed at absorbing public anger and sharp criticism directed at the military establishment due to its failure to counter the drone air force. Recent confrontations have demonstrated Hezbollah's ability to penetrate Israeli defense systems and reach sensitive targets with high precision.

Hezbollah had introduced new types of drones into service, including the 'optical drone,' which is difficult to detect by traditional radars. This technological development has increased the complexity of the occupation army's defensive mission, prompting the military leadership to search for alternative offensive solutions deep within Lebanese territory.

Reports indicate that Netanyahu is banking on a margin of maneuver with the American administration, allowing him to target vital facilities under the pretext of 'preemptive defense.' The occupation has previously targeted energy and gas infrastructure in Lebanon, despite previous international promises not to repeat such attacks that affect civilian and vital facilities.

In contrast, Hezbollah continues to carry out qualitative operations using kamikaze drones against gatherings and bases of the occupation forces, achieving direct hits as acknowledged by field commanders. These ongoing operations confirm that the option of escalation deep inside could lead to unexpected reactions, putting the ceasefire agreement on the brink of total collapse.

Zamir's statements fall under an attempt to reassure Israelis that the solution is to target factories, given the inability to intercept drones in the air.