https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-media:-how-do-we-respond-to-hezbollah-now

Israeli media: How do we respond to Hezbollah now?

The problem in "Israel" this morning is the manner in which it will respond and act, Israeli media said on Sunday.

Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah released a statement on Saturday announcing that it sent three UAVs on a recon mission over the contested Karish gas field. The Israeli occupation forces shot down the drones over the Mediterranean Sea.

Israeli occupation forces said that they shot down the three UAVs off the Mediterranean coast. One of the UAVs was downed by an F16 fighter jet, and the other two by Barak missiles launched from the Saar 5 Class Corvette, according to a statement by the IOF.

"The first option is to take this incident (the reconnaissance mission) into account and prepare for the upcoming incident and Hezbollah's next operation," Israeli Channel 13 military affairs commentator Or Heller said Sunday during an interview. The second option, he said, is to "work and respond to Hezbollah's assets, whether in Lebanon and Syria, at the risk of escalation."

"When there is an interim government, this is not easy. But there is no doubt that we are facing an event that implores us to protect the gas rigs, especially Karish, which will become operational in September," Heller added.

Ex Aman chief: Hezbollah undermining Israeli air supremacy

Hezbollah wanted Saturday to insult "Israel" on the first day of the new prime minister's tenure by carrying out an air show over the Karish gas field and publishing aerial footage of the drilling area, Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate (Aman) former chief General Reserve Amos Yadlin said, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

By that, Hezbollah "conveyed a message" to the interim Israeli government and the Lebanese government about the dispute over the maritime borders, Yadlin noted. He suggested, however, that the operation could be related to the latest Israeli aggression on Tartus. He called for looking into the Mediterranean Sea issue from a broader perspective, such as "Hezbollah's attempts to challenge Israel's control over the Lebanese airspace."

Yadlin called on the occupation's government to "maintain political composure and adopt the principle of keeping a score," in addition to continuing drilling for gas in the Karish field. He also called on "Tel Aviv" to exert intelligence efforts to "defend" the Israeli occupation and ensure multi-dimensional protection.

Yadlin then called on "Israel" to take diplomatic action, file a complaint to the Security Council, and suspend negotiations with Lebanon regarding the demarcation of the maritime borders.

The intelligence official called on the Israeli government to increase its reconnaissance missions over Lebanon despite admitting that Hezbollah is "also working on challenging them." Furthermore, he suggested that "Tel Aviv" works on moving against Hezbollah's observation points on Lebanon's southern border and the resistance's "establishment of an air defense force and project to enhance missile precision."

"In the meantime, it is advised to adhere to the first three options, but Hezbollah's continuous aggression will require Israel to carry out more important missions, which, as it is known, could lead to an escalation," he concluded.

'Israel' only has two options

"The security apparatuses are scared of new attacks from Hezbollah," the Israeli Wallah! news site said. "Israel is facing the problem of how it can respond, and it has two options: either to get ready for the upcoming operation or risk escalation with Hezbollah."

The site said that "Hezbollah's operation has important implications for the negotiations on the demarcation of the maritime borders and the scope of forces that the Israeli army will now devote to protecting the area and confronting other threats."

"Hezbollah has more important capabilities than the ones demonstrated yesterday," Israeli media said. "Their main purpose was to send a message and not necessarily inflict any harm […] The last word in the battle over the economic waters has not yet been said, and indirect negotiations are expected to continue."