Israeli defense minister tells US only ‘military action’ can return people to homes amid Hezbollah threat
Israeli officials are warning that despite U.S. pressure to secure a cease-fire with Hamas, the continued threat Hezbollah poses means Israel needs to change its force posture along its northern border.
In a meeting with a top adviser to President Biden on Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that "military action" against Hezbollah was the "only way" to safely return its citizens to their northern homes.
U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein met with both Gallant and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an attempt to avoid a broader conflict between the Jewish state and the Iran-backed terrorist groups.
But Israeli officials appeared steadfast in their position on handling Hamas to the south and Hezbollah to the north, and noted the time to secure a cease-fire agreement to end the war in Gaza was running out, particularly as Hezbollah continues to "tie itself" to Hamas.
Instead, Gallant told Hochstein that Jerusalem needed to "change the security situation on the northern border," though he did not detail what this would entail.
Israeli security experts have been warning for months that Jerusalem faces a far greater threat along its northern border as Hezbollah – already better financially backed and militarily equipped than other Iranian proxy forces like Hamas – has been gaining power for decades.
Israeli citizens fled their homes in the north following the catastrophic attacks by Hamas in the south on Oct. 7, 2023, fearing a similar attack could be carried out by Hezbollah.
Additional evacuations have since been enforced by government officials along the northern border as Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah routinely engage in cross-border skirmishes.
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It is unclear how many Israeli residents have been displaced since the onslaught of the war against Hamas nearly one year ago, though some estimates suggest that figure could be as high as 80,000.
"We are in a multi-front campaign against Iran's axis of evil, which is striving for our destruction," Netanyahu said following Houthi and Hezbollah missile strikes on Sunday. "I am attentive to the residents of the north.
"I see their distress. I hear their anguish. The current situation will not continue," he added. "This requires a change in the balance of forces on our northern border. We will do whatever is necessary to return our residents securely to their homes.
"I am committed to this. The government is committed to this, and we will not suffice with less than this," Netanyahu warned.
Israeli officials have shown increasing resistance to a cease-fire deal with Hamas and have said no deal can be reached without the return of all hostages, despite pressure from the Biden administration.
Netanyahu has also said there are major security concerns that cannot be compromised for the sake of a cease-fire, like the continued presence of Israeli forces in the Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza, which runs along the border with Egypt.
Following the Monday meeting between Netanyahu and Hochstein, the prime minister, according to a readout of the exchange, said Israel "appreciates and respects the support of the United States," but added that Jerusalem "will do whatever is necessary to maintain its security and return the residents of the north to their homes safely."
Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this article.
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