The Israeli and Hezbollah flags. Photo: Human Security Centre.

Following Monday’s Hezbollah attack on an Israeli military patrol along the Lebanese border, the IDF is continuing to prepare for future confrontations with the Iranian-backed terrorist organization, the Hebrew news site Walla reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, the IDF Northern Command believes that though Hezbollah claimed the attack was in retaliation for the recent assassination of official Samir Kuntar, it was in fact a stage in the next war with Israel — and that Hezbollah used it as an opportunity to gauge what kind of response it could expect in the event that it decided to carry out its threat to conquer Israeli territory near the border.

Walla also said the IDF also fears that Hezbollah was monitoring how long it took Israeli ground and air forces to respond; the point of origin of dispatched reinforcements; and which roads were closed on the Israeli home front. Hezbollah, the IDF thinks, might possibly be operating intelligence sources inside Israel or is at least following Hebrew media reports 24 hours a day.

To prevent an infiltration by the terrorist organization based in Lebanon, according to Walla, the Northern Command is implementing a carefully devised plan, which includes analyzing the vulnerability of Israeli border communities, and anticipating various scenarios based on threats issued by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.