Gantz Calls for All-out War on Lebanon

By Al Mayadeen English

The former Israeli cabinet minister claims an all-out war on Lebanon would achieve the Israeli goal of returning settlers to the occupied North.

The Israeli National Unity chairman Benny Gantz has declared that "Israel" should not only act "against Hezbollah but also against the sovereign state of Lebanon."

According to the former war cabinet minister, "Israel" has two options for moving forward and returning settlers to the occupied north: either reach an agreement to deter Hezbollah or "continue the offensive, including entering on the ground if necessary."

Meanwhile, Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that he discussed the regional situation with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, as well as the IOF's upcoming operations against Hezbollah.

"Spoke yesterday [Sunday] evening with US Secretary of Defense following my visit to the IDF’s Northern Command. Provided the Secretary with a situation assessment of Hezbollah threats and briefed him on IDF operations to degrade Hezbollah’s ability to launch attacks against Israeli civilians," Gallant said on X.

Gallant and Austin discussed the general situation of the region, including threats by Iran and its "proxies."

On the other hand, former Israeli Air Force commander Brig.-Gen. (res.) Zvika Haimovich highlighted the extent of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's current failure in military strategy against Hezbollah in a Sunday interview for Maariv.

He noted that "Israel's" recent strikes on the movement do not align with the government's objectives to restore stability in the North.

Northern front bane of 'Israel'

Hezbollah has previously vowed that the occupied north would not be safe for the return of its settlers. 

In a televised speech on Thursday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned that the Israeli occupation's actions would only further exacerbate the displacement of settlers from the north and reduce the possibility of their return.

"What you are doing will increase the displacement of your displaced settlers from the north and will bar the opportunity of their return," he warned. 

Sayyed Nasrallah also emphasized the effectiveness of the Northern Front. "The enemy labeling the situation in the north as the first historic defeat for 'Israel' is further evidence of our front's effectiveness," he declared. Moreover, he noted that the mobilization of Israeli forces in the north highlights the "grave threat it faces on this front," which he described as one of the most important fronts in the ongoing regional war of attrition.

"The enemy has admitted to losing the North, forcing [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and [Security Minister Yoav] Gallant to find a solution to the predicament constituted by the northern front," Sayyed Nasrallah added, underscoring the front's role in the ongoing war of attrition. According to the Resistance leader, this front serves as "one of the most important trump cards in the hands of the Palestinian Resistance in the negotiations to halt the aggression on Gaza."