The Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist organization is studying whether to join Israel's conflict with Hamas by launching an attack from the Jewish state's northern border, according to an Egyptian intelligence official speaking to WND.

The official said for the moment Hezbollah is confident Hamas can face Israel independently, believing Hamas' continued rocket fire from the Gaza Strip amid Israel's intensive air raids against the terror group's Gaza infrastructure is working to maintain Hamas' deterrent posture. Hamas' rockets have been fired deeper and deeper into Israeli territory.

But Hezbollah is watching events closely and is concerned about a possible large-scale Israeli ground invasion, the Egyptian intelligence official said. He said Egyptian embassies in Beirut and Damascus have collected information indicating Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, is studying whether to join the conflict.

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He said the probability is low Hezbollah would directly engage Israel, but is considering allowing Palestinian groups in South Lebanon to launch Katyusha rockets into Israel, in hopes of complicating the Israel Defense Forces focus on Gaza.

According to Lebanese newspaper reports, the Israel Air Force has been buzzing South Lebanon with war planes, signaling for Hezbollah to stay out of the conflict. Hezbollah leaders for their part have restrained their direct involvement in the conflict to making heated pronouncements and organizing mass rallies decrying the Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza.

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Just before Israel launched its initial air raids in Gaza last Saturday, there were reports Palestinian groups in Lebanon were stopped from launching rockets into Israel.

Hamas has taken a major beating from Israel's repeated air strikes, but the group's so-called Executive Force, a Hezbollah-like guerilla force, is said to still be intact and is preparing for a possible Israeli ground offensive. In a major blow to Hamas, an IDF strike on a home in the Gaza Strip today killed senior Hamas leader, Nizar Rayyan, who is ranked among Hamas' top five decision-makers as the liaison between the group's military and political wing. Israeli defense officials say they expect Hamas to retaliate.

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