IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot said on Tuesday that Hezbollah is in the midst of a “deep internal and economic crisis,” and that its rank and file members have leaned only over the past two weeks that their military commander had been killed, Israel Radio reported.
Mustafa Amine Badreddine, Hezbolla’s top military commander, died in a “huge blast” near the Damascus airport in May of 2016.
In a speech he gave at the Meir Dagan Conference at Netanya Academic College, Eizenkot said that Israel is still facing threats from conventional weapons, but it is less significant because of its peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan.
Eizenkot added that an additional potential threat would emanate from advanced weapons systems falling into the hands of terror groups due to the political collapse of states in the region.
The head of Mossad, Yossi Cohen, told the conference that the Middle East is undergoing change, the threats are clear and their presence is harsh and significant. Nevertheless, Cohen supports efforts to seek opportunities for cooperation and identify opportunities for understanding and peace.
The head of Mossad added that many of the regional changes had not been foreseen. The Arab Spring turned gloomy. States like Libya and Syria have not yet collapsed completely and the pendulum there is still in motion.
As to Iran, Cohen believes that as long as the Ayatollahs continue to rule there, the Islamic Republic will continue to be the biggest threat to Israel’s wellbeing, with or without nuclear power.
He also believes that Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the rest of the terror organizations have never given up their ambitions, and continue to challenge Israel’s security apparatus.