Netanyahu Updates War Goals: Safe Return For Border Residents

On Tuesday, Israel added a new goal to its war objectives: ensuring the safe return of its citizens to their homes near the border with Lebanon. This announcement came amid reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a change in his defense minister.

Updated War Aims

The update to Israel’s war goals was announced by Netanyahu’s office following an overnight security cabinet meeting. The revised objective includes returning residents of northern Israel safely to their homes. The statement from Netanyahu’s office emphasized that Israel would continue to pursue this goal.

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Escalation in the Hezbollah Conflict

The conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah has intensified, displacing tens of thousands of people on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, launched attacks against Israel shortly after the outbreak of the Gaza Strip conflict on October 7, when Hamas militants struck Israel. Since then, exchanges of fire have become increasingly frequent.

Israel has expressed a preference for a diplomatic resolution that would push Hezbollah further from the border. However, Hezbollah has stated that fighting will persist until the conflict in Gaza is resolved. Efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, have stalled.

Potential Changes in the Defense Ministry

Following the security cabinet meeting, reports emerged that Netanyahu and Gideon Saar are close to finalizing an agreement for Saar to replace Yoav Gallant as defense minister. Saar, a former justice minister, has been critical of the current government’s war strategies and has advocated for more decisive action against Israel’s adversaries, including Iran.

Saar has opposed negotiating with Hamas to end the Gaza conflict, contrasting with Gallant, who has supported a truce involving the exchange of Israeli hostages in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners. If Saar were to take over, it would strengthen Netanyahu’s political position by adding Saar’s four-seat faction to his coalition, potentially reducing reliance on other coalition partners.

A change in defense minister could also address two significant political challenges for Netanyahu: passing a state budget and enacting a new conscription law that aligns with the preferences of his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners, who seek exemptions for religious seminary students from military service.

Gallant’s Independent Stance

As defense minister, Yoav Gallant has frequently taken a stance independent of Netanyahu. He has criticized Netanyahu’s pursuit of “total victory” in Gaza as unrealistic and has called for a clear post-war plan that includes Palestinian governance of the Gaza Strip. Gallant also opposed Netanyahu’s plan to reduce the Supreme Court’s powers last year, which he argued was creating deep social divisions and threatening national security. Although Netanyahu initially dismissed Gallant, he reversed this decision in response to widespread public protests.

(Includes inputs from online sources)

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