JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The announcement on Monday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, which revealed preparations for a strike in the Dahiyeh district of Beirut, reportedly threw away a long intelligence effort and extremely complex operational planning. It was supposed to be a surprise blow intended to inflict very severe damage on Hezbollah.

The IDF operates freely in southern Lebanon in and around the area of the “Yellow Line.” near the Litani river The military also operates against threats in Tyre, Sidon, and of course Nabatieh. The area where the IDF was not authorized to operate was the city of Beirut, including the Dahiyeh quarter.

Until the ceasefire imposed by President Donald Trump about a month and a half ago, the IDF operated in Beirut’s skies and struck Hezbollah assets. Many buildings were destroyed by the Air Force. In each such building, a headquarters or weapons-production laboratory had operated. Sometimes parts of the buildings served as ammunition depots.

Hezbollah has recently been forced to operate in Beirut from alternative locations, including apartments, tents converted into operations rooms, and other sites used as Hezbollah facilities. Senior members of the organization are in hiding out of fear of being targeted by the IDF.

According to a report by Maariv military commentator Avi Ashkenazi, Hezbollah has suffered extremely heavy losses in recent weeks. Half of the organization’s manpower has reportedly been killed, wounded and removed from action.

The IDF’s presence in southern Lebanon, together with the hundreds of thousands of displaced persons from southern Lebanon, has increased pressure on the organization. The IDF concluded that an attack on what it calls Hezbollah’s “power targets”—the organization’s centers of gravity—could be effective. These targets include headquarters and storage facilities containing strategic weapons.

The IDF Intelligence Directorate, together with other Israeli intelligence-gathering organizations, spent many weeks building a target bank consisting of apartments, buildings, and tents where Hezbollah had concentrated what the article calls its “treasure” in Beirut.

The intelligence work was translated into staff planning and strike preparations by the Air Force and Navy. As with previous operations, the plan was to carry out the attack at a time when as many Hezbollah personnel as possible would be present at the identified locations, alongside equipment stored there. On Sunday, preliminary approval was reportedly given for strikes in Beirut.

The fact that much of the Muslim world was occupied with Eid al-Adha, while Americans and much of the Christian world were occupied with the weekend holiday period, reportedly provided favorable timing to act without creating international drama.

The IDF planned a quick, precise operation with minimal collateral damage. The operation in Beirut was intended to pass quietly, both in Washington and in Tehran.

This assessment was based partly on the fact that on May 6, the Israeli Air Force carried out a precise strike in Dahiyeh that killed Ahmad Ghaleb Ballout, commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force. Hezbollah threatened revenge and Iran expressed anger, but according to the article, nothing ultimately happened. The operation passed quietly and largely under the radar, helped by the fact that neither the IDF nor the security establishment publicly celebrated it or provoked the other side.

On Sunday night, the political leadership reportedly approved the operational plan for Beirut. Military Intelligence, the Operations Directorate, and the Air Force prepared to act, completed their final preparations, and waited for the operational opportunity expected to arrive during the following day, when Hezbollah terrorists would gather in the targeted apartments and tents. The goal was for the strike to simultaneously shake the organization and influence the reality in northern Israel.

But then, according to the article, the unexpected happened. A statement by the Defense Minister and Prime Minister was distributed to military and political correspondents, informing the world that they had instructed the IDF to operate in Beirut and anywhere else in Lebanon.

A senior security official quoted in the article said: “We’ve already gotten used to the fact that the two of them can’t restrain themselves. After every operation they rush to publish statements before the IDF Spokesperson issues an announcement, before the battle-damage assessment is received. We can still live with that. But for heaven’s sake, who runs to tell everyone before a surprise attack that we’re about to attack? What happened was that all the apartments were emptied. All the terrorists disappeared.”

The same official continued: “Beyond that, the premature boasting woke up the Iranians and the Americans. From that moment we’re stuck. Israel can’t operate in Beirut. We can operate freely in Tyre and Sidon, but Beirut remains restricted.”

He added that since Monday the Iranians have gained confidence.

“We had a window of opportunity to operate and do the job quietly. But the announcement by the Prime Minister and Defense Minister closed that window. It’s doubtful whether it will open again.”

The official further explained: “The U.S. president has the World Cup, and he committed that the games would take place without the atmosphere of war. Immediately afterward we enter the July 4 celebrations marking 250 years of the United States, and that also has to pass without the sounds of war in the background. From there we move into the midterm elections, and the American president wants those to pass without fighting and military escalation.”

He added:”Then that’s it. Trump won’t remain president forever. He has about two years left now, but after the midterms he’ll already be in the latter part of his presidency, and his decisions could become more complicated.”

The official concluded by describing the current frustration: “Hezbollah is battered and weak, and we were given an opportunity to hit it much harder. Iran is currently behaving like a lion in a cage. They’ve been hit hard, but they’re crazy. They’re playing cards when they have no cards to play. We’re waiting to see what happens with the nuclear issue and how it ends.”

He continued:”It’s clear to us that for now we’ve created a delay in the nuclear threat and the missile threat for at least several years.”

The senior security official added: “There is no doubt that Iran will want to use a large portion of any money that is released to it in order to rebuild its military capabilities and Hezbollah.”