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The defense minister of Israel pledged on Sunday to increase strikes against Hezbollah, a militant organization in Lebanon, regardless of whether a truce is established with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Hezbollah, a group engaged in ongoing conflict with Israel during the Gaza war, has announced that it will cease its frequent attacks on Israel if a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that those who believe a temporary cease-fire for Gaza would extend to the northern front are mistaken.
Gallant stated that they will persevere with the fire, operating separately in the southern region, until their objectives are met. He emphasized the main objective of removing Hezbollah from the Israeli border, whether through negotiations or using military force.
Hezbollah began striking Israel almost immediately after Hamas triggered the fighting in Gaza with a deadly attack along Israel’s southern border from the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7. Tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border have been displaced by the continued cycle of Hezbollah rocket and missile attacks and Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire.
During a recent speech, the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, stated that his group would abide by a cease-fire in southern Lebanon in the event that a cease-fire is established in Gaza. However, he warned that they would resume and intensify attacks if Israel persisted in targeting Lebanon following an agreement with Hamas.
On Sunday, a security official from Lebanon reported that two Israeli airstrikes on trucks in the border region between Lebanon and Syria resulted in the deaths of five members of Hezbollah. The official requested anonymity as they were not permitted to disclose the information to the media. While Hezbollah confirmed the deaths of three of its members, the location was not specified.
The Israeli army did not admit to the attacks on the border between Lebanon and Syria, but stated that it had attacked multiple locations in southern Lebanon as a retaliation to missile launches. It also claimed to have targeted a “terrorist group” in the town of Blida.
According to Gallant, Israel’s deliberate elimination of Hezbollah leaders has greatly diminished the group’s capacity to launch assaults on Israel.
In Lebanon, approximately 200 members of Hezbollah and 35 civilians have lost their lives due to ongoing, minor confrontations for nearly five months between the Lebanese militant organization and Israeli military, which is occurring simultaneously with Israel’s conflict with Hamas, an ally of Hezbollah. In Israel, nine soldiers and nine civilians have been killed in attacks by Hezbollah.
The majority of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has taken place within a limited range on both sides of the border.
Representatives from both the United States and various European nations have put forth potential solutions in an effort to reach an agreement that would ease tensions at the border.
The concepts primarily revolve around a withdrawal of Hezbollah by a few kilometers from the border, an increased presence of the Lebanese army in the border area, and discussions about border points where Lebanon alleges that Israel has occupied portions of Lebanese land since pulling out its troops from southern Lebanon in 2000.
In the future, there is a possibility that the plans could result in the official marking of the land boundary between Lebanon and Israel, which would align with the previously agreed upon maritime border agreement in 2022.
According to an anonymous government official from Lebanon, the latest proposal presented by France suggests that Hezbollah should remove its troops from the border by a distance of 10 kilometers (6 miles). The official requested confidentiality due to not having authorization to disclose details of the negotiations.
The proposal is currently being reviewed by Lebanon and Hezbollah leaders have expressed their openness to consider it. However, both government and Hezbollah officials have made it clear that a border agreement will not be reached until a cease-fire is achieved in Gaza.
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Beirut was the location of Sewell’s report.
The source of the information is the independent.co.uk website.
