Even before thousands of pagers exploded in the pockets and hands of Hezbollah fighters on Tuesday, a major escalation between Israel and the Iran-backed Shiite army in Lebanon was looking increasingly likely.
After US special envoy Amos Hochstein met with Israel’s war leadership in Tel Aviv the day before, the security cabinet updated its official goals for the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza to include allowing residents of the north to return safely home after being evacuated over concerns Hezbollah could launch a cross-border attack similar to October 7.
“Israel will continue to act to achieve this goal,” said a statement from the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, hinting strongly at the possibility of expanding military operations to get Hezbollah to stop firing.
Gallant was even more direct in his message to Hochstein, telling him that “the only way left to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes will be via military action.”
Read the full article at the Times of Israel.
