Media: Hezbollah expects escalation, vows direct response to any ground attack

Hezbollah is anticipating an Israeli military escalation in the coming period and has decided to respond directly to any ground assault, according to a security source cited by Ad-Diyar.

The source said the group expects heightened Israeli activity, particularly targeting Hezbollah positions in Lebanon’s northern, central, and western Bekaa Valley. The source added that Hezbollah is currently more fortified than it was prior to the 2024 conflict, having implemented new defensive and organisational measures.

According to the source, Israeli intelligence has been unable to identify the party’s new leadership, which has limited its ability to carry out high-level assassinations. 

The source noted that Hezbollah has drawn lessons from the previous war and the assassinations of its senior figures, including the Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. As a result, the group has developed a new military plan focused on bolstering its defence and deterrence capabilities against Israel.

Regarding the recent increase in Israeli drone activity over Beirut and other Lebanese areas, the source said these flights were part of Israeli army exercises intended to train personnel. However, they may also serve intelligence purposes, as Israel seeks to expand its surveillance and identify new targets, the source added.

By Sabina Mammadli