Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared his country was in a “new phase of war” and revealed that troops were being deployed to the border with Lebanon. The statement, released Wednesday (9/18), came amid the explosion of devices in Lebanese territory.
“We are at the beginning of a new phase in the war,” Gallant wrote in a post on X. “We are allocating resources and forces to the northern arena and our mission is clear: to ensure the safe return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes. To achieve this, the security situation must change.”
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that the Security Cabinet “renewed its war aims,” aiming to ensure the safety of residents of Israel’s northern region.
For days now, Israel has been threatening to intensify operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, the Shiite group’s attacks have forced thousands of Israelis to flee areas close to the two countries’ border.
The Israeli government’s change in stance toward Lebanon comes amid attacks in the country, targeting Hezbollah.
On Tuesday (17/9), pagers exploded simultaneously across the country, killing twelve people and injuring more than 2,800. A day later, walkie-talkies also exploded, killing 14 people.
Hezbollah has accused Israel of being behind the attack, but Netanyahu’s government has not commented on the case.
