The IDF is still not in favor of launching a full invasion of Lebanon, despite Hezbollah's heavy attacks on the North on Wednesday night, but is considering it as a more real option once the war with Iran calms down.
Despite Hezbollah firing over 200 rockets overnight (compared to at most 100 per day until now during this conflict) and an increased pace in drone attacks, the IDF still views Iran as the central theater of the current multifront war, with Lebanon being a secondary front mainly to prevent any attacks from Hezbollah and to keep the terror group on its back feet.
According to the IDF, the results of air defenses and military coordination versus Hezbollah's larger attack on Wednesday night were mixed.
On one hand, IDF intelligence collection, forward attacks, and unspecified mysterious operations prevented Hezbollah from firing off around two-thirds of what it meant to launch against Israel.
Also, Iron Dome and other air defenses have shot down almost all drone threats, at about 100 so far, including Iranian drones launched at the North.
On the other hand, there were rockets that got through and caused damage and harm in larger numbers than in prior days.
The fact that Hezbollah got up to 200 rockets put it back in the range of the number of threats it could launch during the 2023-2024 conflict, which the IDF had hoped was now beyond its capabilities.
Also, all the additional efforts the IDF expended when it learned, earlier Thursday, that Hezbollah would try to launch a larger attack, only helped to locate and destroy one rocket launcher before the attack started.
IDF admits northern residents should have had more advance notice
In addition, the IDF said that the Northern Command should have given more advance notice to northern residents about an anticipated larger attack.
The IDF said that giving such warnings is always a dilemma, as it also betrays intelligence to the adversary.
After the attack started, the IDF destroyed 50% of those rocket launchers involved, but this is less strategically valuable, given that they had already fired.
IDF sources were not optimistic about finding a majority of the rocket launchers before they could fire, given that most of them are now north of the Litani River, beyond much of the IDF's range and efforts.
The IDF did note it has killed more than 300 Hezbollah fighters and downed around 50 large structures in Hezbollah's Dahiya stronghold in Beirut.