The effectiveness of Hezbollah’s complex network of secure bunkers and tunnels crisscrossing southern Lebanon has become patently evident to the Israelis trying to crush Hezbollah’s ability to shower Israel with missiles. Not only have heavy airstrikes done little to diminish Hezbollah’s effectiveness, but ground incursions come with a steep price in Israeli solders’ lives. Hezbollah has bunkered down in well-defensible positions, evidently well stocked with ammunition and other supplies. Even after over three weeks of intense attack from both the air and ground by Israeli forces, over the past several days Hezbollah has fired record numbers of missiles into Israel. Just yesterday, at least 15 Israelis were killed and dozens injured in rocket attacks.

But it is not only Hezbollah’s opponents who have been taking note of the effectiveness of Hezbollah’s strategy. Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin recently pointed out to the Israeli cabinet that “the Palestinians have been impressed by the flight of hundreds of thousands of people from their homes in northern Israel to escape Hezbollah rocket strikes.”

Geostrategy-Direct.com reported on July 28:

Israeli officials said the Palestinian Authority is planning a Hezbollah-type war in the Gaza Strip.Officials said the Hamas-led pa has been constructing tunnels, bunkers and developing a weapons infrastructure modeled after the Iranian-sponsored Hezbollah. The current Hezbollah rocket strikes on northern Israel have encouraged Hamas and its allies to develop similar capabilities.”A very problematic situation is being created in the Gaza Strip,” said Israel Security Agency Director Yuval Diskin. “Within the next two to three years, barring any major changes, we may find ourselves in a Hezbollah-type situation, meaning bunkers, underground tunnels, infrastructure and dangerous weapons.”

Should Hamas obtain the same type of Iran-originated missiles that Hezbollah is currently firing into Israel and be able to launch them from Gaza, both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem would be in range.

But even with the infrastructure and weaponry Hamas currently possesses, it is managing to continue to fire short-range rockets into Israeli cities close to the border despite weeks of Israeli efforts to shut down Hamas’s capabilities. This is thanks, largely, to Hezbollah and Iran. The Geostrategy-Direct.com report continued (emphasis ours):

Diskin told the Israeli cabinet on July 23 that Hamas has sought to become a Palestinian version of Hezbollah. He cited increasing help by Hezbollah and Iran to the Hamas-led pa, particularly in training and developing a missile and rocket industry.

The evidence is mounting of a high level of cooperation between Hamas and Hezbollah, with both taking their cues from Iran. Iran is using its terrorist proxies to position itself to become the clear leader of the radical Islamic world’s fight against Israel.