Israel's security establishment is examining whether yesterday's lethal explosion in Lebanon was caused by an accident, and has frozen the planned significant response, according to a security source. Officials assess that the likelihood still favors a Hezbollah explosive device, but an IDF dud or other non-hostile explosive is also being considered.
Israel's security establishment is examining whether yesterday's lethal explosion in Lebanon was caused by an accident, a security source said, freezing the planned significant response that was set to be executed. While the working assumption remains that the explosion was likely caused by a Hezbollah explosive device, findings at the scene have prompted investigators to also consider the possibility of an Israeli dud or other non-hostile explosive. The investigation is ongoing, and no final determination has been made.
The development follows a series of reports on Wednesday evening (Aug 5, 20:02 Jerusalem) detailing internal deliberations over the scope of Israel's response. Initial reports indicated that the IDF demanded a more determined response in Lebanon, but the political echelon blocked a forceful escalation. Subsequent reports revealed that the political echelon halted a planned broad offensive after US intervention aimed at protecting diplomatic talks, and that Israel was prepared for a major strike but was halted at the last moment over a lack of US authorization. The thread shows a consistent pattern of the political echelon restraining military action, now compounded by the security establishment's consideration of an accident scenario.
As The Zioneer has previously reported, the IDF has investigated possible ammunition malfunctions in tank explosions in Lebanon (Jun 19), and a reservist was killed by a Hezbollah explosive device in southern Lebanon (Jun 18). The security establishment has repeatedly stressed its commitment to northern defense, and the current freeze of the planned response indicates that officials are awaiting a clearer picture before taking further action.
What remains open is the exact cause of the explosion. The investigation continues, and while the accident scenario is being examined, the assessment that a Hezbollah device is more likely has not been ruled out. The freeze of the response suggests that the security establishment is not yet confident enough to act on the initial assumption.
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