Gallant: Israel will fight Hezbollah regardless of ceasefire deal with Hamas
Despite Hezbollah linking the daily attacks on Israel to the war in Gaza, Defence Minister Gallant insists that the two arenas are "separate."
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant vowed that Israel will continue to fight Hezbollah in the north regardless of a ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza.
Despite Hezbollah linking the daily attacks on Israel to the war in Gaza, Gallant insisted that the two arenas are “separate.”
“I gave a clear directive to the forces stationed in the south and in the north – these are two separate arenas. Even if we reach agreement for a hostage deal, and I very much hope that we will be able to achieve it – it does not bind us on what happens here, unless Hezbollah reaches a framework or agreement,” Gallant said as he held an operational situation assessment in the Hermon region in northern Israel.
“Even if there is a ceasefire there [in the south], here [in the north] we will continue fighting and doing everything necessary to bring about the desired result [bringing Israeli communities home safely]. Your goal is to ensure your readiness and to erode the enemy’s [Hezbollah] capabilities,” Gallant added.
The defence minister said that Hezbollah and Palestinian terrorist organisations have lost 450 fighters in Lebanon since the beginning of the war.
“15 commanders at the level of brigade commanders or above, were eliminated. This includes 3 division commanders and makes up for over 50% of Hezbollah’s total number of commanders in southern Lebanon. This is very significant,” he said.
Four people were wounded in yet another Hezbollah attack on Sunday, with 20 rockets fired at the lower Galilee region, marking the deepest attack on Israel by the Lebanese terror group since October 8.
The barrage hit an Israeli military base near Tiberias some 18 miles from the Lebanon border.
Hezbollah has ramped up its rocket attacks on Israel in recent weeks after a string of Israeli assassinations of senior Hezbollah commanders across Lebanon.
On Monday, the IDF said it “struck and eliminated” Hezbollah operative Mustafa Hassan Salman in the area of Qlaileh in southern Lebanon.
“Hassan Salman was an operative in Hezbollah’s Rockets and Missiles Unit, who took part in the planning and execution of numerous terror attacks against the State of Israel,” the IDF said.
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