That would require picking up perhaps as many as a dozen members and interorgating them. It is a lot easier to break 10 terrorists than it is one. And stories can be compared to determine the truth. The lower level people offert two advantages for Isreal they are not likely trained to resist interrogation and they have seen the situation first hand.
They might also get some resupply infomation.
Reports said they went through the IDs of every patient. They had to be looking for people who had recently been on line and knew what the situation might be.
I think Israel got exactly what they wanted. That is why they took so many prisoners. They also want Hezbollah to think they might be back and that information was not the prime objective.
It seems clear to me now that reporters in Lebanon are reporting what Hezbollah wants them to say. And reporters on the Israeli side are saying what the Israelis tell them.
I think the Israeli report that they didn't get what they were looking for is just disinformation. I find is suspicious that the Isreali army would admit failure in the middle of a war if indeed it was a failure. A combatant almost always only admits failure in order to cover success.
Disinformation is part of any war. All I know is I hope Israel not only prevails, but at least deals a mortal blow to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. No one can realistically expect Israel to wipe them out altogether. They'll just reform in Syria and elsewhere. But Israel must prevail in cleaning out southern Lebanon to the fullest extent possible, or this will be seen as a victory for the Islamofacist thugs. That MUST not happen. So I hope you're right about this: "I find is suspicious that the Isreali army would admit failure in the middle of a war if indeed it was a failure. A combatant almost always only admits failure in order to cover success."