Hezbollah and Israel Try To Avoid War, For Now

By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – Israel and the Islamic militant Hezbollah group have reportedly agreed on informal rules of engagement as they prepare for possible war while trying to avoid setting it off. The New York Times newspaper reports that Israel has mostly refrained from killing members of Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and committed to destroying the Jewish state.

The paper quotes current and former Israeli and Middle Eastern officials as saying that Israel has “adopted a policy of warning Hezbollah operatives in Syria before bombing their convoys.”

Israel reportedly wants to avoid killing them and risking a devastating war in Lebanon. That became clear last week when a missile apparently exploded near a black Jeep Cherokee as three Hezbollah operatives leaped out and ran for cover. Moments later, appearing to know they had time, the militants returned to get their bags. They were seen strolling away before a second missile destroyed their vehicle.

No one was killed or wounded in the Israeli attack on the Hezbollah team in Syria last week. But it was an example of Israel’s policy of pre-strike warnings in Syria, which has not been previously reported, according to The New York Times. “It reflects a fear of engaging Hezbollah’s vast rocket arsenal.”

However, Israel has made clear it tries to draw a red line to prevent Hezbollah from acquiring and developing precision-guided missiles, which it sees as a strategic threat.

Latest Worthy News