Israel fears Hezbollah military response

Israel fears a revenge-seeking Hezbollah might target its trespassing warplanes, ships or soldiers entering Lebanon’s space or territory.

Following the successful prisoner swap last week, Hezbollah may be seeking to take revenge on Israel over the February assassination of its commander Imad Mugniyah in Damascus, Israeli media reported.

On Wednesday, Hezbollah returned the bodies of two Israeli soldiers while Israel handed over Samir Kuntar -the longest serving Arab prisoner in Israel- and four Hezbollah men as well as 199 bodies of Palestinian and Lebanese fighters.

Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday, addressing a huge crowd gathering at the Beirut celebration for the freed prisoners, said the movement would now try to free the Lebanese land still occupied by Israel.

"Our worry now is to free the rest of our lands...protect our water and our sovereignty and our honor," he said, calling the prisoner release a victory for the resistance.

Debka military and intelligence information website said Hezbollah has installed an anti-aircraft missile system on Mount Sanin near the Syrian border which enables the resistance to track Israeli fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft in southern Lebanon and northern Palestine.

Hezbollah’s shore-to-sea missiles have the capability to sink Israeli military ships upon their entrance into Lebanon’s territorial waters, the website added.

Analysts described the news as part of efforts to incite the pubic against Hezbollah at home, and to draw attention to an alleged external enemy from the corruption and disorder plaguing the Israeli regime.