Israel announced the expansion of its war aims yesterday, widening its nearly year-long fight against Hamas in Gaza to focus on Hezbollah along its northern border with Lebanon.
The announcement came when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to be back in the region this week to try to revive stalled ceasefire talks to end Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
Until now, Israel’s objectives have been to crush Hamas and to bring home the hostages taken by Hamas fighters.
While the focus of the offensive has been on Gaza, the unabating exchanges of fire between Israeli troops and Hamas ally Hezbollah in Lebanon have forced tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border to flee their homes.
“The political-security cabinet updated the goals of the war this evening, so that they include the following section: the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Not formally declared as a war, the exchanges of fire between Israeli troops and Hezbollah have killed hundreds of mostly fighters in Lebanon, and dozens of civilians and soldiers on the Israeli side.
The Israeli announcement came a day after Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said “military action” was the “only way left to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities”.
Hezbollah, which like Hamas is backed by Israel’s regional arch-foe Iran, claimed a dozen attacks on Israeli positions on Monday and three more yesterday. Israel’s military said it struck “terrorist” targets in Lebanon.
Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qassem said at the weekend that his group had “no intention of going to war”, but that “there will be large losses on both sides” in the event of all-out conflict.
Hamas, meanwhile, said it was readying for more war, with assistance from fighters and support from across the region, reports AFP.
In Gaza, the health ministry said yesterday that at least 41,252 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive, now in its 12th month. The toll includes 26 deaths in the previous 24 hours, according to the ministry.
United Nations member states were set to debate a draft resolution demanding an end to the Israeli occupation of all Palestinian territories within 12 months.
General Assembly resolutions are not binding, but Israel has already denounced the new text as “disgraceful”.
While months of mediated negotiations and shuttle diplomacy have failed to pin down a ceasefire in Gaza, Washington said it was still pushing all sides to finalise an agreement.
To bridge the remaining gaps, the United States was working “expeditiously” on a new proposal, said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. Miller said Blinken would discuss the ceasefire drive during a visit to Egypt this week.
Qatar’s foreign ministry said yesterday efforts to forge a Gaza truce were “ongoing”.
