Hizbollah deputy leader Naim Kassem in an interview published on Saturday in a Lebanese daily said the group was taken by surprise by the Israeli offensive. “We were expecting the Israelis would respond at the most by bombing for a day or two or some limited attacks or targeting certain places, such that it would not go beyond three days and some limited damage,” he said. “Frankly we were surprised by the great size (of the Israeli response) and by this serious attack.” Kaseem said that two days after the war began, Hizbollah learned that Israel and the US had been planning an attack in September or October. “Israel was not ready. In fact it wanted to prepare for two or three months more, but American pressure on one side and the Israeli desire to achieve a success on the other . were factors which made them rush into battle,” he said.
