JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on Tuesday Thwarting Hezbollah attacks in northern Iraq As the government considers a broader military operation in Lebanon that could escalate into all-out war, allowing residents to return to their homes is now an official war objective.
Israeli officials have repeatedly warned of stronger military action to halt the near-daily attacks that began shortly after the attacks began. Nearly a year of war between Israel and Hamas in GazaIn retaliation, Israel has carried out regular airstrikes in Lebanon, targeting and killing senior Hezbollah commanders.
Until just last month All-out war seemed imminent..
Tuesday’s statement by Israel’s security cabinet signaled a tougher stance at a time of increasing warnings from Israeli leaders, but it was largely symbolic and may not signal an immediate change in policy.
Retaliation attacks have forced tens of thousands of people to flee on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border. Hezbollah has said it will stop attacks if a ceasefire is reached in Gaza, but negotiations are still underway. I’ve been stuck on multiple occasions.
The United States has urged restraint, Military aid rushed to IsraelHe warned his allies that a broader war would not achieve their objectives.
Meanwhile, Israeli media have reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering firing Defense Minister Yoav Galant and replacing him with Gideon Sa’ar, leader of a minor right-wing party seen as more hardline, which would mark Israel’s biggest leadership change since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked war in Gaza and wider regional tensions.
The announcement on Lebanon came after Israel’s security cabinet met late into the night, where they said they had “updated the war objectives” to now include allowing residents in the north to return safely to their homes.
“Israel will continue to act to achieve this objective,” he said.
U.S. Special Envoy Amos Hochstein, who has made several visits to Lebanon and Israel in an attempt to ease tensions, met with Netanyahu on Monday.
According to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting, Hofstein told Netanyahu that escalating the conflict with Hezbollah would not lead to Israelis fleeing the border region returning to their homes.
The official said Hochstein argued that Netanyahu risked triggering a broader, protracted regional conflict if he stormed into all-out war in Lebanon, and that the Biden administration remained committed to finding a diplomatic solution either in conjunction with a Gaza ceasefire or on its own.
“Residents will not be able to return unless the security situation in the north is fundamentally improved,” Netanyahu told Hochstein, according to a statement from his office. The office said Netanyahu “appreciates and respects” the U.S. assistance, but that Israel “will do what is necessary to protect its security.”
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Gallant said the focus of the conflict was shifting from Gaza to northern Israel. He told US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this week that time was running out for a deal with Hezbollah, saying “the trajectory is clear”.
Hezbollah says it does not want a bigger war but is prepared for it.
Raed Bello, a pro-Hezbollah member of Lebanon’s parliament, said on Monday that the militant group is “ready for confrontation and has a lot of resources to deter enemies and defend Lebanon if Prime Minister Netanyahu thinks of escalating the war.”
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a political ally of Hezbollah, largely rejected the warnings, telling a local newspaper that Lebanese people had “gotten used to Israeli threats… even if the tone has become tougher recently.”
The war in Gaza began with a surprise attack by Hamas into southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people. 250 more hostagesThe militants released most of the rest during a ceasefire last year but are still holding around 100 prisoners, a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel’s retaliatory attack As of October 7, 41,000 Palestinians have been living in the area.According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, No distinction The ministry counted combatants and civilians, but said just over half of those killed were women and children.
Iran supports Hamas and Hezbollah Other militant groups across the regionIt also struck targets in Israel and the US in solidarity with the Palestinians. A missile was fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Sunday. Air raid sirens sound in central Israel No casualties were reported, and Israel has threatened a military response.
Israel and Iran They exchanged fire in person for the first time in April.Iran has threatened to retaliate Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh killed A bomb attack in Tehran in July was widely condemned as a targeted killing, but Israel has not said whether it was involved.
The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent much of this year trying to broker an agreement that would see Hamas release its hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.
President Joe Biden approved the framework for the agreement in May and the UN Security Council backed it days later, but Israel and Hamas have been accusing each other of violating it since then. New and Unacceptable Demandsnegotiations appear to be at an impasse.
___
Associated Press writers Ammar Madani in Washington and Abbie Sewell and Kareem Shehaieb in Beirut contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP’s war coverage https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war