Israel’s ‘intense’ operations in Gaza ‘about to end’ with attention to move to Hezbollah: Netanyahu

[mystery-ak]

Israel’s ‘intense’ operations in Gaza ‘about to end’ with attention to move to Hezbollah: Netanyahu
By
Conrad Hoyt
June 23, 2024 8:01 pm
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Israel’s “intense” phase of war with Hamas in Gaza is “about to end,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, signaling that the Jewish state’s attention will likely turn to the country’s north amid threats from Hezbollah.

“The intense phase of the fighting against Hamas is about to end,” Netanyahu told local Channel 14. “It doesn’t mean that the war is about to end, but the war in its intense phase is about to end in Rafah. After the end of the intense phase, we will be able to redeploy some forces to the north, and we will do that. Primarily for defensive purposes but also to bring the (displaced) residents back home.”

Israel has been fighting in Gaza since the militant group’s assault on Oct. 7, where roughly 1,200 civilians and soldiers were killed. Netanyahu’s government has made clear its objectives to eradicate Hamas as well as rescue its hostages that Hamas captured during its attack last fall.

Hezbollah is an Iran-backed militant group operating in Lebanon that has feuded with Israel for decades. Ever since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged missile attacks along their shared border.

Hezbollah attacked Israel as recently as Sunday, and Israel is believed to have retaliated with munitions later that night.

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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/3056079/israels-intense-operations-gaza-end-attention-move-hezbollah-netanyahu/

[Right_in_Virginia]

Netanyahu says Israel is winding down its Gaza operations. But he warns a Lebanon war could be next
Associated Press, Jun 23, 2024

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the current phase of fighting against Hamas in Gaza is winding down, setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The comments threatened to further heighten the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah at a time when they appear to be moving closer to war. Netanyahu also signaled that there is no end in sight for the grinding war in Gaza.

The Israeli leader said in a lengthy TV interview that while the army is close to completing its current ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, that would not mean the war against Hamas is over. But he said fewer troops would be needed in Gaza, freeing up forces to battle Hezbollah.

[...]

Hezbollah already has unveiled new weapons during the low-level fighting, including hard-to-defend attack drones that strike with little warning. An Israeli soldier was badly wounded Sunday in a drone strike.

But Israel says it too has shown Hezbollah only a small part of its full capabilities, and that Lebanon will be turned into a second Gaza if there is a war. Israel’s army last week said it had “approved and validated” a new plan for a Lebanon offensive.

In the interview, Netanyahu said that Israel’s offensive in Gaza is winding down. The Israeli army has been operating in the southern border town of Rafah since early May. It says it has inflicted heavy damage on Hamas in Rafah, which it has identified as the last remaining Hamas stronghold after a brutal war stretching nearly nine months. But he said Israel would have to continue “mowing” operations — targeted strikes aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping.


https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-06-23-2024-bcc6c48de5c463fd68b7249f5b15bf5c