Israel sets new war goal of returning residents to the north
Israel has made the safe return of residents to the north of the country an official war goal, the prime ministerâs office has said.
The decision was taken by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuâs security cabinet late on Monday.
About 60,000 people have been evacuated from northern Israel because of near-daily attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon.
Cross-border fighting escalated on 8 October 2023 â a day after the deadly attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip â when Hezbollah fired at Israeli positions, in solidarity with the Palestinians.
âThe Security Cabinet has updated the objectives of the war to include the following: Returning the residents of the north securely to their homes,â a statement from the prime ministerâs office said.
âIsrael will continue to act to implement this objective,â it added.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the only way to return Israelâs northern residents to their homes was through âmilitary actionâ, during a meeting with US envoy Amos Hochstein.
âThe possibility for an agreement is running out as Hezbollah continues to âtie itselfâ to Hamas, and refuses to end the conflict,â a statement from his office said.
âTherefore, the only way left to ensure the return of Israelâs northern communities to their homes, will be via military action.â
Gallantâs comments came as speculation grew that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to replace him amid differences between the two men over the war in Gaza.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin warned of the devastating consequences of further escalation.
In a statement from the US defence department, his office said he âreaffirmed the necessity of a ceasefire and hostage deal, and that Israel should give diplomatic negotiations time to succeed, noting the devastating consequences that escalation would have on the people of Israel, Lebanon, and the broader region.â
Israel has repeatedly warned it could launch a military operation to drive Hezbollah away from the border.
Hezbollah is a Shia Muslim organisation which is politically influential and in control of the most powerful armed force in Lebanon.
The group has so far made no public comments on the issue.
The latest Israeli move marks an expansion of the countryâs previously stated war goals:
- The elimination of Hamas and its military capabilities
- The return of all the hostages taken during the 7 October attack
- Ensuring that the Gaza Strip no longer poses a threat to Israel
Israeli forces launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the groupâs unprecedented attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken back to Gaza as hostages.
More than 41,220 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territoryâs Hamas-run health ministry.