Israel announced on Wednesday a a greater deployment of its army on the northern borderbordering Lebanon. This was announced by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during his visit to an air base where he noted that “the center of gravity is shifting to the north. We are diverting forces, resources and energy to the north,” according to official sources. At the same time, the minister spoke of the arrival of a “new stage in the war,” referring to the growing tensions between Israel and the militias. Hezbollah.
Some Israeli analysts have raised the possibility that the military could soon decide to invade southern Lebanon to displace Hezbollah forces. This would be to gain space for the estimated 60,000 Israelis displaced by the war to return to their homes with a margin of safety, a goal set by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This new military movement, announced by the Minister of Defense, comes at the same time as Major attacks leave at least twenty dead and more than 3,000 injured in neighboring country due to the explosion of thousands of communication devices, research and walkie talkiesemployed by the Hezbollah militia. It is an operation that bears the seal of the Israeli secret service abroad, the Mossad, although the authorities of that country have not made explicit comments on the subject.
In this sense, Gallant congratulated the country's security forces, including the Mossad, for the “great achievements” obtained. Even if all suspicions point to this spy service as being responsible for the attacks in Lebanon, the minister did not directly refer to it. or their paternity. “If we look at the current panorama, the Israel Defense Forces [IDF, por sus siglas en inglés] “They have achieved great achievements, in cooperation with the internal security services and the Mossad, the results of their work are impressive,” he commented. “This operation is being carried out by all forces, and the mission is clear and simple: to bring the residents of the northern communities home safely,” he stressed.
These explosions in Lebanon and the announcement of the increase in troops also coincide with the rise in border tensions, where Israel and this armed Shiite group supported by Iran have been engaged for almost a year in a low-intensity war. Indeed, the exchange of projectiles has continued in recent hours. These clashes have forced the displacement not only of the 60,000 Israeli inhabitants, mentioned by the head of Defense, but also of some 100,000 Lebanese on the other side of the border.
“We know how important it is at this time to conduct our activities in close cooperation. “We are fully coordinated and united in our determination to achieve our objectives,” Gallant added, referring to the various security forces. And he specifically cites “one objective: the return home of the inhabitants” displaced from the north.
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In this sense, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted in recent days on a new objective for his war program. It is to ensure the safe return of displaced persons from dozens of cities located around the border and who have been in other parts of the country for months. This Wednesday, Netanyahu reiterated this again, without explicitly referring to the attacks of recent days in the neighboring country. “We will bring the people of the north home safely,” the president said, according to his office.
This Thursday, the army plans to carry out maneuvers around the Mediterranean city of Haifa, the third largest in the country, located about thirty kilometers from the border with LebanonThese are exercises that were previously planned and which, they warn, could attract the attention of the inhabitants of the area due to the movement of vehicles and forces.
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