Defense Minister Yoav Gallant delivered a forceful message to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah during a visit to an Israeli military exercise in northern Israel on Wednesday. Gallant cautioned that Nasrallah's actions could have severe consequences for Lebanon.
"As things appear, Nasrallah may drag Lebanon to pay very heavy prices. They can't imagine what could happen. I assume if they take a picture of Gaza, they'll understand. But logic doesn't always speak," Gallant stated during his visit to the "Foxes of Marom" division exercise.
The Defense Minister emphasized Israel's preparedness for various scenarios: "You are focused on operational activities in defense, but we are preparing for attack as well. We need to be ready."
He added a stern warning: "It's impossible to kill civilians in the State of Israel, certainly not 12 children, and not pay a price for it. It doesn't work, this patent is not acceptable to us, and if necessary, we will expand operations and do what needs to be done, and this process may also deteriorate into a state of war. It's not theoretical– it's real."
Gallant also highlighted recent Israeli operations: "As of today, we are hitting the enemy in our ways. This is true for operations that eliminate Mohammed Deif and Rafa Salameh in Khan Yunis - and for the attack on the Houthis in Yemen and the elimination of Mohsen in the Dahieh quarter in Beirut. It's not over, it won't be just in the air. We need to be prepared."
Nasrallah recently mocked Israel's air defenses, claiming, "At the height of its readiness, it fails to intercept our drones - which reached Acre ... We will respond - with or without our partners - and the wait in Israel is part of the punishment."
Gallant emphasized ongoing coordination with U.S. officials: "Yesterday I met together with the Chief of Staff with the commander of 'CENTCOM' - General Kurilla. All night I made calls with Austin who entered and left the President of the United States and with others in the American administration. They have a great desire to help us and work together, this cooperation is a critical component in any preparation."
Meanwhile, sources in the White House reportedly believe that diplomatic efforts by President Biden towards Tehran may cause Iran to reconsider retaliation. However, the situation with Hezbollah "is still unclear," according to the same sources.
As Israel continues to strengthen its defenses and readiness, Gallant's final message to the troops was: "Your level of readiness is what guarantees us the ability to make decisions– {because] we know that behind it there is a real thing, not something on paper, and you train all the way, everyone trains, defense and attack - it's very important."
* Channel 13 contributed to this article.