The presence of a convoy carrying senior Hezbollah operatives and Iranian military personnel in Syria near the border with Israel suggests that they were “planning an operation against Israel on a high level,” Major- General (Res.) Eyal Ben-Reuven said in a conference call with reporters Monday. On Sunday an Israeli air strike hit the convoy killing twelve including an Iranian general and senior Hezbollah terrorists.

Ben-Reuven’s remarks from the conference call, which was arranged by The Israel Project, publisher of The Tower, were reported by The New York Times. Ben-Reuven also addressed the likelihood that Iran and Hezbollah would retaliate against Israel for such a significant blow.

“It’s a significant point because before, when Hezbollah retaliates, sometimes we knew that Iran tried to push to a high level of retaliation and Hezbollah tried to prevent it. Now it’s common interests between Hezbollah and Iran to retaliate.”

However the Times notes that Ben-Reuven and others that Hezbollah still likely will not attack Israel directly in order “to avoid a serious engagement with Israel because it is so heavily committed in Syria.”

Ben-Reuven was quoted in other news stories about yesterday’s air strike in Syria including the Associated Press and Bloomberg News.

A recording of the complete conference call is available here.

[Photo: Mastre News / YouTube ]