NCJ Number
192021
Journal
Jane's Intelligence Review Volume: 13 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2001 Pages: 12-14
Date Published
November 2001
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Flushed with its own success in hastening Israel's pull-out from South Lebanon, Hizbullah has been offering its military services and propaganda expertise to the Palestinians during their year-long Intifada in the occupied territories.
Abstract
A senior Israeli officer has identified two modi operandi of Hizbullah. The first is to infiltrate existing institutions in the Palestinian areas, gaining control through cashflow transfers and perhaps weapons as well. The second route of entry is through expanding prior connections between Lebanese elements and individuals currently residing in the Palestinian territories. Israel, like other countries in the area, is aware of Hizbullah's recent attempts to smuggle arms shipments into the Palestinian territories. By early September, Israeli intelligence assessed Hizbullah as poised for its next phase: infiltration of an explosives expert into the Palestinian territories. In the context of the current international climate following the September 11 attacks in the United States, countries that have supported Hizbullah strategies in the past, such as Syria and Iran, have urged restraint by Hizbullah, and the Palestinian Authority has made some efforts toward curbing the current violence. These tactical reflexes within the Hizbullah and Palestinian movements, if sustained, could lead to a new strategic picture, although the situation remains highly volatile.