Lebanon's southern border with occupied Palestine. (Credit: Aziz Taher/Reuters)
BEIRUT — “Every target associated with rockets and missiles will be targeted in the next war,” the chief of staff of the Israeli army, Aviv Kochavi, reportedly said Sunday as he detailed the Israeli army’s intentions in a future war with Lebanon in a speech delivered as part of a conference in Israel, according to reports in the local media.
Here's what we know:
• “A house in which a missile is located or located near a missile, an activist dealing with a missile, or a command headquarters dealing with a missile, or electricity linked to a group of missiles — all of this network will be attacked on the day war starts,” Kochavi continued.
• “A missile launcher inside a house is considered a military target, a missile depot inside a house is considered a military target, a missile depot in the basement of a building is considered a military target, a command headquarters inside a multi-story building is considered a military target, and dual-use targets that serve to fight the enemy are considered military objectives,” he added.
• The Israeli army is frequently accused by human rights organizations of indiscriminate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure in its bombing campaigns in occupied Gaza, which the Israeli army justifies by saying that those buildings serve a dual military-civilian purpose.
• Threatening Lebanese civilians directly, he said “I advise you to leave [the area of hostilities], not only at the beginning of the war, but from the beginning of tension and before the first bullet is fired … because the force of the attack will be unprecedented.”
• Israel has threatened Lebanon with massive damage and loss of life repeatedly since the end of major hostilities between it and Hezbollah in 2006.