Israel came very close to preemptively striking Hezbollah four days after the October 7, 2023 Hamas invasion in the belief that one should hit the more powerful enemy first, The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi was thinking about such an operation within minutes of the war breaking out in the south, the report said.

Military intelligence brought him information about a potential complementary invasion from Lebanon by the much stronger Hezbollah forces, with concern growing steadily due to the Iranian proxy’s launch of dozens of missiles at northern Israel starting on October 8.