Israeli official admits Hezbollah joined conflict with unexpected intensity

A senior Israeli official has acknowledged that Israel underestimated the scale of Hezbollah’s involvement in the ongoing conflict, as the country faces simultaneous attacks from Iran and Lebanon.

Speaking to Channel 13 News, the official said Israeli planners had not anticipated the intensity of Hezbollah’s response after the group entered the fighting. “We made a mistake regarding Hezbollah; we didn’t expect them to fire with such intensity,” the official said.

The official added that the current war could last longer than the 12-day conflict known as Operation Am Kalba’i that took place last June.

Israel is currently facing rocket fire from Lebanon alongside missile and drone strikes attributed to Iran, placing pressure on multiple fronts.

According to Israeli media reports, the Israeli Security Cabinet has convened only once since the outbreak of the war. Subsequent meetings have reportedly been limited to a smaller group of officials, including Defence Minister Yisrael Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and senior security chiefs.

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In a separate interview with Fox News, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the war against Iran, describing it as necessary to confront what he characterised as a long-term threat posed by Tehran.

Netanyahu said Iran had spent decades promoting hostility towards Israel and the United States, accusing the Iranian leadership of supporting attacks across the region and expanding what he described as a global network of armed groups.

Speaking about relations with Washington, Netanyahu strongly praised US President Donald Trump and the close cooperation between the two countries.

“When we work together, great things happen. Nothing would have happened without President Trump,” Netanyahu said. He added that he had met Trump at Mar-a-Lago before the start of his second presidential term.

“The first thing he told me was that we must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He recognised the existential threat to America posed by a regime that attacks everyone, including Cyprus and Europe,” Netanyahu said.

The Israeli prime minister added that although Israel had worked with several US presidents in the past, Trump stood out for what he described as his clarity and deep understanding of the issues.

“There has always been a partnership, but there has never been a president like Trump… we are lucky,” Netanyahu said.

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