Minister Benny Gantz responded today (Sunday) to a report published in the Washington Post, according to which the American administration fears an escalation in the north and the expansion of the war against Hezbollah.
In his statement, Gantz made it clear that Israel is committed to the security of the residents of the north, and said that "the only consideration is the security of Israel," not issues of domestic politics or the Prime Minister's political survival.
"The situation in which the residents of the northern border cannot return to their homes - requires an urgent solution. The world should remember that the one who started the escalation is the terrorist organization Hezbollah," Gantz said. "Israel is interested in a political solution. If this does not happen, the State of Israel and the IDF will remove the threat."
He also clarified that "all members of the war cabinet share this position. The only consideration is Israel's security. This is the duty of every country to its citizens."
As mentioned, the Washington Post reported this morning that officials in the American government fear the possibility that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may act to escalate the hostilities in the northern sector and expand the war against Hezbollah. According to the report, the White House is concerned that Netanyahu will see the expansion of fighting as "a key to his political survival, this against the background of criticism in Israel of his government's failure to prevent the October 7 massacre."
According to the report, the Americans warned Israel in internal talks against a significant escalation on the northern front. This is due to a new secret assessment by American intelligence, which found that the IDF would have difficulty securing wins against Hezbollah while many forces continue to fight in the Gaza Strip. Per the assessment, in a multi-front war, the army would be required to divide resources between the north and the south, which may lead to deployment that is too weak.
It was also reported that the US fears an extensive war between the IDF and Hezbollah, which could result in more casualties and damage than occured in the Second Lebanon War in 2006. Bilal Saab, a researcher of Lebanon at the Washington Institute, claimed that "the number of casualties among Lebanese citizens may range between 300 and 500 thousand, and lead to a mass evacuation of the entire northern region of Israel."
Saab added and claimed that in the event of an all-out war, Hezbollah is expected to attack deep into Israel much more than it has done in the past - and try to hit sensitive targets such as nuclear reactors and chemical industries. He further estimated that "it will not be limited to fighting between only two sides. It is estimated that Iran will activate additional militias and proxy forces in the region."
