‘Preemptive strike to trigger regional war’: Israeli general
Israeli army troops stand around their tanks in an area along the border with the Gaza Strip. (AFP Photo)
If Israel launches a preemptive strike against Hezbollah and Iran, it will trigger a regional war that Tel Aviv would be unable to fight effectively without U.S. support, Israeli Reserve General Yitzhak Brik said Wednesday, according to Hebrew Channel 12.
Concerns are mounting about the outbreak of a comprehensive regional conflict following Israel’s recent assassinations of top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in an airstrike on a Beirut suburb on July 30, and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran the next day.
Despite Tel Aviv not claiming responsibility, the attacks are attributed to Israel.
Iran and Hezbollah have vowed a “strong and effective” response to the assassinations, while regional efforts are underway to de-escalate the situation.
Regional war risks
Brik stated that Israel’s current military condition is misunderstood by many, suggesting that a preemptive strike against Iran and Hezbollah could be catastrophic.
He warned that such an action would immediately provoke a regional war, subjecting Israel’s population centers, power stations, gas platforms, transportation, industrial infrastructure and military bases to daily attacks by thousands of missiles and drones.
The Israeli army, Brik emphasized, cannot defend national infrastructure and defeat Iran, Hezbollah, and their proxies in a regional war.
He argued that those advocating for a preemptive strike fail to recognize the severe consequences and the inevitability of a larger conflict.
Need for US support
Brik also highlighted Israel’s dependence on the U.S., stating that Israel cannot endure or win a regional war without American assistance.
He noted that while some believe a preemptive strike could offer an advantage in an unavoidable war, it would instead guarantee the onset of a regional conflict.
