Editor-DN
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that settlers in the north will return to their homes.
Tel Aviv, Israel:
In Israel’s first response after thousands of explosions in Lebanon over two days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s defense minister has declared that the “center of gravity” of the Middle East conflict is “moving north.”
In a short video statement, Mr Netanyahu also promised that tens of thousands of residents along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon would “return to their homes”.
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has been supporting Hamas since the Gaza war began in October 2023, and there have been regular exchanges of fire between Hezbollah militias and Israel’s armed forces for the past several months. Tensions have escalated since the Pager blasts. Lebanon, in which 12 people were killed and nearly 3,000 were injured, most of whom belonged to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has blamed Israel for its “biggest ever” security breach. However, Mr. Netanyahu did not speak directly about the explosions that have rocked Lebanon.
Hand-held walkie-talkies killed nine more people and injured more than 300 today, less than twenty-four hours after thousands of pagers were detonated across Lebanon.
“I have said before, we will return the citizens of the north to their homes in safety and that is exactly what we are going to do,” Mr. Netanyahu said during his statement.
“Forces are being sent to the northern border,” Israeli Defense Minister Yves Gallant added. Israel has said the war has now “entered a new phase”, amid fears that a new war front could soon develop.
The Defense Minister said in remarks issued by his office that the “center of gravity” is moving northward, meaning we are devoting forces, resources and energy to the Northern Plains.
While the Gaza Strip is on Israel’s southwest front, Lebanon borders Israel to the north.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken has warned against escalation of war in the Middle East.
