Defense Minister Joav Gallant on Friday issued a warning to the Lebanese group Hezbollah. He stated, Israel prefers a diplomatic resolution of the tension on the border with Lebanon, but the possibility of resorting to it to a military response is increasingly inevitable.
We will continue our operations across the sector as needed. We have one clear goal – to safely return the residents of the north to their homes.”said Gallant.
“There are two alternatives: one is the diplomatic one, on which we are actively working. Yesterday I met with the Special Envoy of the President of the United States, Amos Hochstein. We will be meeting Secretary of State Anthony Blinken shortly to discuss these options.”
Hassan Nasrallah sees historic opportunities in the war
Second speech by the leader of the Lebanese movement “Hezbollah” since the beginning of the war in Gaza
We recall that the head of the Lebanese movement “Hezbollah”, Hassan Nasrallah, said today that its current operations on the southern borders open a “historic opportunity” for Lebanon to liberate its lands occupied by Israel.
All of Lebanon will be at risk if Hezbollah does not respond of the assassination of the Palestinian deputy leader Islamist movement “Hamas” Saleh al-Aruri in Beirut. “All of Lebanon will be at the mercy of Israeli attacks,” the leader said. However, a war would also offer the “Islamic resistance in Iraq” the opportunity to get rid of the American presence in the country.
Nasrala reported that about 670 military operations were conducted on the Lebanese-Israeli border since October 8, with Hezbollah destroying “a large number of Israeli vehicles and tanks”. He claimed the group had wounded around 2,000 Israeli soldiers in strikes along the Lebanon-Israel border in the past three months.
Hezbollah has lost 129 fightersaccording to the group’s own figures, while Israel officially claimed to have lost nine soldiers.
“For those who want to know why we are fighting on the southern front, we are obliged to answer. There are two objectives on this front: to put pressure on the enemy and his government to stop the aggression against Gaza. The second objective is to reduce the pressure on the resistance against Hamas in Gaza,” he added.
Israel vows more targeted fight against Hamas
After the war, “Hamas” will no longer control Gaza, Galant is categorical
Gallant yesterday outlined a new stage in Israel’s war in Gaza: a more targeted approach in the north and a further pursuit of Hamas leaders in the south as Israel tries to free the remaining hostages held by the Palestinian group.
Under international pressure to move to less intensive combat operations and facing economic challenges, Israel is reducing its forces in Gaza to allow thousands of reservists to return to their jobs.
Gallant indicated that operations in the north would include raids, tunneling, air and ground strikes and special forces operations.
In the south, where most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people currently live in tents and other temporary shelters, the focus will be on eliminating Hamas leaders and the rescue of about 132 Israeli hostages left over from about 240kidnapped on October 7.
After the war, Hamas will no longer control Gaza, Gallant emphasized, adding that the enclave will be governed by the Palestinian Authoritywhile there is no threat to Israel.
In order to help prevent the expansion of the conflict, the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken left for the Middle East.
2024-01-05 20:11:46
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