Netanyahu to declare returning northern residents to their homes an official war goal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will bring a motion before the security cabinet on Sunday to make returning the residents of northern Israel to their homes an official goal of the war, the Ynet news site reports.

The move comes amid increasing tensions and Israeli threats to launch an operation to push back Hezbollah from the border.

Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.

With hopes for a Gaza ceasefire fading, the chances of a diplomatic deal with Hezbollah are also increasingly slim.

Netanyahu’s office says “the prime minister has been saying for a long while that there is a crucial need to return the northern residents to their homes and to ensure their safety as a goal of this war, that is also our policy in reality.”

The PMO says Netanyahu has wide support for the move.