Watch Webinar – Israel’s Preemptive Strike on Hezbollah

On Sunday morning, the Israel Defense Forces launched preemptive strikes to prevent a planned Hezbollah attack against Israeli military and intelligence facilities. The attack was a “preliminary response,” according to Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, to Israel’s killing of the group’s senior commander, Fuad Shukur, and reportedly included plans to target military bases near Tel Aviv, including the headquarters of the Mossad. Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones and claimed its attack was successful. Meanwhile, some 100 IDF jets preemptively struck rocket launchers in over 30 Lebanese villages.

JINSA hosted a discussion of the strike’s significance, whether it will lead to greater fighting or temporarily reduce tensions, whether an Iranian response to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is still expected, and what it means for prospects of a full-scale war with Hezbollah. The event featured JINSA’s Julian and Jenny Josephson Senior Vice President for Israeli Affairs IDF MG (ret.) Yaacov Ayish, JINSA Distinguished Fellow IDF MG (ret.) Amikam Norkin, JINSA’s Randi & Charles Wax Senior Fellow John Hannah, and was moderated by JINSA President and CEO Michael Makovsky, PhD.