Iran, Hezbollah planned preemptive strikes on Israel before the war

The sources stopped short of confirming whether the group intended a broader ground invasion of northern Israel.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Hezbollah and Iran weighed the option of preemptive strikes against Israel prior to the current conflict, defense sources reported Monday, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The Iran-backed terror group in Lebanon reportedly directed 1,000 Radwan forces to move southward, closer to the border with Israel, to retaliate for Israeli strikes against terrorist targets following the 2024 ceasefire.

Although defense experts had previously predicted a surprise attack by Iran, Monday was the first time they indicated that Hezbollah would make a similar move.

Hezbollah’s potential plan appeared to focus on targeting IDF troops with ground forces, alongside rocket fire aimed at both military positions and northern Israeli border communities.

They stopped short of confirming whether the group intended a broader ground invasion of northern Israel.

The timing of Hezbollah’s entry into the current conflict has raised questions, as the group joined more than two days after Israel and the United States began heavy strikes on Iran. Defense sources said those joint operations disrupted Hezbollah’s planning.

Despite these assessments, it remains unclear whether Hezbollah would have ultimately carried out a preemptive strike if Israel had not launched its war against Iran. Defense sources acknowledged that such plans may not have progressed beyond preliminary stages.