Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the active phase of the operation against Hamas is “about to end” after which “the focus will shift to the fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israeli media reported.
The Israeli leader said in a televised interview on Sunday that while Israeli troops are close to completing a ground offensive in the southern Gaza town of Rafah, it does not mean the war against Hamas is over. However, he emphasised that fewer troops would be needed in Gaza, allowing the freed forces to be deployed to fight Hezbollah. He told Israel’s Channel 14 in an interview that was frequently interrupted by applause from the studio audience:
“We will have the possibility of transferring some of our forces north, and we will do that. First and foremost, for defenсe, but also to allow tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return home.”
Netanyahu also said Israel is ready to resolve the issue with Hezbollah diplomatically, but only on Israel’s own terms. Any diplomatic solution must include a real solution, which includes “physically removing Hezbollah from the border,” Netanyahu added.
Escalating conflict since last year in Lebanon
Hezbollah began bombarding Israel on October 8 2023 – the day after Hamas attacked it – firing some 5,000 rockets.
Israel responded with rocket and artillery attacks on the Shiite group’s positions in Lebanon. As a result, 400 people were killed on the Lebanese side, including 70 civilians. Israeli casualties totalled 16 soldiers and 11 civilians. Several tens of thousands of civilians from both sides were forced to leave the border territories.
Last Wednesday, the leader of the Shiite group Hassan Nasrallah confirmed that in the event of a full-scale conflict with Israel, its military potential would allow it to attack any part of Israeli territory. Nasrallah stated:
“The enemy knows that we have prepared for the worst and that there is no place he can hide from our missiles.”
