The Israeli army is preparing for "Hezbollah" to execute a "central" attack on Israel, launching hundreds of precise rockets and drones at air defense batteries across the country in an attempt to paralyze them. According to the newspaper "Maariv," 19,000 rockets have been launched at Israel from various fronts - Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and Gaza. The Israeli army claims to have intercepted 150 drones from the ground, with the air force intercepting dozens of other aircraft.
Due to the nature of the threat, a change has been decided in the Israeli army. Last month, another regular "Iron Dome" battalion was opened, and since October 7, the air defense system has been on immediate alert around the clock, fully deployed across Israel, as reported by the newspaper. The Israeli army explained that this is a key factor in dealing with various aerial threats: drones, rockets, ground-to-ground missiles, and cruise missiles from all fronts, indicating that "all weapon systems in the system are operational and have intercepted various threats."
The war in Gaza has posed new challenges for the Israeli army and air force, with thousands of rockets being launched at Israel from all fronts: Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and Gaza.
### Intercepting Aerial Targets
Since the start of the war, air defense fighters have intercepted more than 150 aircraft aimed at Israel. Fighter jets and helicopters of the air force intercepted several dozen others, according to a statement from the Israeli army. "Maariv" reported that the Israeli army estimates that some of the drone launches from Lebanon to Israel aimed to inform "Hezbollah" of its penetration capabilities and its ability to damage Israeli assets while intensifying the fighting on the northern border.
The Israeli army estimates that "Hezbollah" may challenge the air defense systems and launch swarms of drones. The Israeli army is preparing for the possibility of "Hezbollah" executing a "central" attack as the initial strike on Israel (in the event of war), which means it will attempt to launch hundreds of precise rockets and drones at air defense batteries throughout the country in an effort to paralyze them, thereby changing the security reality in which Israel is subjected to rocket and drone attacks.
According to the "Maariv" report, the Israeli army is making operational adjustments in response to the emerging threat, stating that it has recognized the threat of drones for a decade and has begun preparing to counter them, as "the best weapon against drones at the moment is the Iron Dome." This is why last month a new battalion was opened, Battalion 139, which "will operate the Iron Dome weapon system."
### Drones
The Israeli army indicated that the incident in which a drone struck the area of the "Tel Shamin" facility at the Golani Junction is a "bad incident," and the air force and air defense system are studying the method of infiltration. Notably, in mid-May, the Israeli army acknowledged that a drone belonging to Hezbollah targeted the depth of Israel the previous night, striking a site that has an air force warning balloon, "Tel Shamin," near the Golani Junction.
Israeli researcher Tal Barry from the "Alma" Research Institute commented on the security challenges Israel faces in the north: "Hezbollah is trying to destroy Israel's strategic assets."
