Weaponization: the IDF says Hezbollah's missile capabilities have been reduced

Hezbollah's missile capabilities have been seriously damaged by IDF strikes. Anna Ukolova, a representative of the Israeli army, told Izvestia. Against this background, the United States is diplomatically active: the U.S. presidential envoy Amos Hochstein will visit Beirut on November 19 to promote the ceasefire initiative. A source close to the Shiite movement told Izvestia that Hezbollah still does not agree with the Jewish state's proposals. Israeli media, meanwhile, say that Russia is ready to assist in efforts to resolve the conflict. What role Russia plays in the negotiation process and whether peace in the Middle East is expected - in the exclusive material of "Izvestia".

Israeli strikes on Hezbollah

Hezbollah's missile potential has been greatly reduced as a result of strikes carried out by the Israeli army. Major Anna Ukolova, a representative of the IDF press service, told Izvestia.

- The IDF's actions in the war against the Hezbollah terrorist organization are heavily damaging their missile capabilities. These include strikes through the air force and a ground operation that destroys and retrieves rockets and shells, among other things," Anna Ukolova said.

According to the IDF spokeswoman, strikes on Hezbollah arms supply routes inside Syria also contribute to the weakening of the Shiite movement.

Israel's new Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on November 13 designated disarming Hezbollah as one of the military objectives of the operation. Although previously the process of demilitarization of the Shiite movement was not part of the military objectives of the Jewish state in Lebanon, notes the Times of Israel. And the Ynet portal writes that the Israeli security cabinet did not aim to disarm Hezbollah before the Litani River before launching a ground operation in the country.

In recent weeks, the Israeli army has carried out numerous strikes on transportation routes that Hezbollah has used to move military equipment into Lebanon. The Syrian State News Agency (SANA) reported on Nov. 13 that the Israeli raid caused significant damage to bridges and roads along the border with Lebanon in western Homs.

According to IDF spokesman Avihai Adrai, the strikes targeted Hezbollah's Unit 4400, which oversees the transportation of military supplies to Lebanon.

The sides have moved closer to a truce

Meanwhile, Hezbollah's chief negotiator, parliament speaker Nabih Berri, said the chances of a truce with Israel now stood at more than 50 percent.

"This time the level of optimism may increase. The Americans are very serious and Donald Trump has given Amos Hochstein (US special envoy for Lebanon. - "Izvestia") the green light for a ceasefire in Lebanon. Also, according to information given to us by the Americans, the Israelis want to end the war," Berry told the Lebanese portal Al Modon.

Earlier, an Izvestia source close to the Shiite movement reported that Israel's proposal allowed UN peacekeepers to expand their area of responsibility, search homes and facilities without having to coordinate with the Lebanese army or the Lebanese government. The US portal Axios also reported that the Jewish state's plan included the possibility of enshrining in the agreement the possibility of "active coercive action" by the IDF.

However, Berri revealed that the draft agreement does not include Israel's right to freedom of action in Lebanon. On the contrary, once a ceasefire is reached, guarantees will be agreed upon that Israeli attacks on Lebanon will cease on land, sea and in the air, the politician said.

There are chances for a ceasefire, but these efforts may be hindered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who does not want a truce, so time is needed for the situation to become clearer, Lebanese University professor Jamal Wakim noted to Izvestia.

According to the publication Al Modon, the new version of the US draft truce contains 13 points. The document envisages a ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, the deployment of Lebanese army personnel in the south, and the transfer of Hezbollah weapons to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Russia's role in the settlement of the conflict

On Tuesday, November 19, U.S. Special Envoy for Lebanon Amos Hochstein is scheduled to fly to the republic, after which he intends to visit Israel. The purpose of his tour is to promote the ceasefire deal, which has already been agreed with the Jewish state and is awaiting a comment from the Lebanese side.

Israeli media, meanwhile, report that negotiations to reach an agreement have made serious progress in recent weeks. The Kan-11 TV channel reports, citing an unnamed Russian official, that Russia is ready to facilitate a settlement on the Lebanese-Israeli border. "Russia is ready to help and support anything that will stop the killing of civilians and prevent the destruction of civilian infrastructure," the TV channel quotes the official as saying.

At the same time, according to Can-11, Moscow's role would allegedly be to prevent Iranian arms shipments to Hezbollah through Syrian territory.

However, this idea was rejected by Alexander Lavrentiev, the Russian president's special envoy for the Syrian settlement. On November 13, he said that Russia cannot give guarantees to block the transit of Iranian arms through the SAR, as this issue "should lie on the shoulders of the Lebanese and Syrian authorities."

- Russia can help stop the violence and cement a permanent truce. The Russian Federation has good relations with both Israel and Hezbollah. But the question is to what extent Israel is willing to hand over the issue to Russia rather than the US," retired Lebanese Brigadier General George Nader told Izvestia.

In his opinion, the prospects for a truce remain dim because the Jewish state does not want it and is putting forward impossible conditions, confident that the other side will reject them.

- There is no one in his right mind who is willing to accept Israel's conditions. We have a very difficult two months ahead of us before Trump takes office. Every day Israel is killing leading Hezbollah figures, both military, media and political figures," George Nader summarized.

A source close to the Shiite movement told Izvestia that Hezbollah still does not agree with the Israeli side's proposals and is not ready to stop shelling the territory of the Jewish state.

Apparently, the secret visit of Israel's Minister of Strategic Planning Ron Dermer to Moscow should also be considered in this context. This was reported by Israel's Channel 12 with reference to high-ranking officials. After his trip to Russia, Dermer also headed to the United States, where he met with future President Donald Trump, writes the American portal Axios. Washington does not want Moscow to play any role in a future settlement in Lebanon, rather it would prefer to contact the Iranian side there, Jamal Wakim believes.