Hezbollah terrorist with missile
Hezbollah terrorist with missileReuters

The radical Islamic terror organization Hezbollah has deployed advanced air defense systems and is laying the foundation for a comprehensive anti-air network, IDF officials revealed to Walla! News on Sunday. 

Defense officials noted that Israeli aircraft are now being tracked by advanced radar systems operated by the Hezbollah terror group.  The revelation signals a dramatic increase in the capabilities of the organization.

The report is unwelcome news for Israel and its Western allies who have suffered from Hezbollah attacks in the past. Apart from its long and bloody history of attacks against Israel, the Iranian proxy organization claimed responsibility for, among other things, the 1983 bombing of an American military installation which killed 241 US marines and 58 French paratroopers.

The deployment of advanced anti-air defense systems could seriously impair the ability of Israeli forces to defend its citizens from Hezbollah missile attacks.

More important, however, are the greater implications of the increasing cooperation between Russia, Syria, and Hezbollah.  With high grade Russian military equipment flowing into the region, Hezbollah’s capabilities are rapidly increasing, reducing Israel’s historic technological advantage over the fundamentalist Islamic group. 

Nor is it clear how far Russia is willing to go with its support. Hezbollah recently claimed Moscow is supplying them with sophisticated weaponry, but the Kremlin itself has strenuously denied those claims to Israel.

The new weapons have also apparently boosted Hezbollah’s confidence in its ability to confront Israel.  The organization is openly displaying its new capabilities, targeting Israeli planes and letting them know they’re in Hezbollah’s sights. 

“This connection between Hezbollah and Syria to Russia has completely changed the rules of the game” an Israeli defense official told Walla! News.  “Hezbollah is signaling to Israel that it’s ready for the next round.”