Off the wire
• Liberia-U.S. team plans study of Ebola survivors  • 1st LD: Gunman detained after occupying Turkish ruling party building in Istanbul  • China willing to strengthen communication with India over "Belt and Road" initiatives: envoy  • 1st LD: IPU-132 concludes with Hanoi Declaration adopted  • U.S. returns ancient Royal Seal of King Deokjong to S.Korea  • IPU parliamentarians debate on democracy in digital era  • HK Customs smashes supply chain for telephone ordering of illicit cigarettes  • Overnight Saudi-led airstrike hits diary factory in Yemen, 37 killed  • Vehicles are top polluter in Beijing: official  • Singapore kicks off World Intellectual Property Day Celebrations  
You are here: 　 Home

Israeli scenario sees hundreds of civilian casualties in next war with Hezbollah

Xinhua, April 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

Israel could sustain hundreds of casualties and massive damage to infrastructures if it fights another round of war with Lebanese Shi'ite militant organization Hezbollah, according to assessments by the Israeli Home Front Command.

The estimate, published in Israeli media late Tuesday, is based on Israel's concern that since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War, Hezbollah has stocked an arsenal of 100,000 rockets.

"We need to prepare for the possibility of a 'blitz' which could lead to 1,000-1,500 rockets falling on Israel daily," outgoing Home Front commander Major General Eyal Eizenberg told local media.

A military spokesperson on Wednesday didn't comment for Xinhua on the scenario, but said that "the Israel Defense Force is prepared for any scenario to protect the state of Israel."

According to the Home Front Command's assessment, hundreds of civilians could be killed and tens of thousands of houses might sustain minor to moderate damage.

The military is preparing contingency plans for the evacuation of those civilians who live in the vicinity of Lebanon border.

Israel fears that Hezbollah will also target military bases, power stations and factories in the north.

Over the past month, the Home Front Command began distributing the scenario to local authorities across Israel and governmental offices, in order to let them prepare in advance.

Hezbollah, which largely controls southern Lebanon, and Israel fought a one-month war in 2006, and the two remain sworn enemies.

The war saw the death of around 43 Israeli citizens and 119 soldiers, in addition to more than 1,700 Lebanese.

Israel believes that since then, Hezbollah significantly boosted its rocket capabilities, in terms of ranges and accuracy, and expanded its experience due to its involvement in the fighting in Syria alongside Assad's loyalists.

In January, Israel launched an air strike in Syria that claimed the lives of six Hezbollah operatives, including a top commander and an Iranian general. Hezbollah retaliated with a cross-border missile attack that killed two Israeli soldiers. Endit