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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan | |
| Destroying Hezbollah’s tunnels: an operation years in the making | |
| 2018-12-17 | |
During its covert construction, the IDF's high command post in the Kirya base in Tel Aviv—also known as "the pit"—still had a secret code name. But last week, when it was opened for the first time to manage Operation Northern Shield, it got its permanent name: "Fort Zion." The planning and construction of the new "pit" lasted ten years. It's a giant space, several dozen feet underground, with several floors. The Operations Division's personnel sit in areas separated from one another by glass walls, with each being used for a different control center. Everyone can see everyone. Above this is an office floor, which is used by the IDF's top brass, such as the IDF chief, the head of the Operations Directorate, the head of the Operations Division who commands over the "pit," and others. The communications and control technologies installed there are state-of-the-art. The opening of the new "pit" was timed to coincide with the launch of the operation to expose Hezbollah tunnels on the Lebanese border. The decision to open "the pit" under the command of the IDF chief is reserved for big operations, usually beyond the state's borders, that entail high risk of escalation leading to war. And indeed, when Operation Northern Shield was announced, the level of alert was raised not just in the Northern Command, but in the entire General Staff, including preparations for immediate deployment of the army's quick-response units: The Commando Brigade, which was sent to the north last week; Special Forces units; and the Israel Air Force (IAF). In such a situation, at least based on past experience, dozens of IAF fighter jets stand ready at the different air bases. The situation assessment on the eve of the operation may have determined there was a low chance of escalation, but the operations area on the northern border—Syria and Lebanon—is so unstable that any situation assessment is almost considered an educated guess. It's enough for a series of military operations—which started with a strike in Syria in early December, which was attributed to Israel, and continued with the massive IDF presence on the Lebanese border and the discovery of Hezbollah's tunnels—to be misconstrued, for the other side to feel threatened. This is why there has been criticism, coming from inside the IDF as well, of the boastful rhetoric used by the political echelon weeks before the operation and upon its launch, which could be seen on the other side as preparing public opinion in Israel for war. | |
| Posted by:trailing wife |