Speculation surrounding tensions on the northern border is rampant after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a briefing with defense brass and other top officials, in light of reports indicating increased activity by the Hezbollah terror group on the frontier.
Channel 12 news reports that the military recommended against a operation aimed at pushing away the terror group, and removing a tent it has set up in disputed territory.
At the same time, the channel quotes defense officials saying that Israel’s deterrent threat against Hezbollah has weakened considerably and continues to fade every day the tent remains.
Fighters from the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah carry out a training exercise in Aaramta village in the Jezzine District, southern Lebanon, May 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A defense official is quoted telling Army Radio after the briefing with Netanyahu that the army is not being pushed into operations against its will, seemingly seeking to reject claims that border tensions are being manufactured or exaggerated to distract from Netanyahu’s domestic political issues.
“We won’t carry out any mission that is forced into us,” the source is quoted saying. “These tents are not a security threat, and we aren’t getting into any operation we’re not interested in.”
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, July 30, 2023
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
