From the Liveblog of
Sunday, December 17, 2023
On Lebanon border, Gallant warns ‘if Hezbollah wants to go up one level, we will go up five’
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant threatens Hezbollah for the umpteenth time as the Iran-backed terror group continues to carry out daily rocket, missile, and drone attacks on northern Israel.
“If Hezbollah wants to go up one level, we will go up five,” Gallant says to reservist troops on the Lebanon border.
“And it will be up to you,” he adds to the soldiers. “We don’t wish for that, we don’t want to get into a war situation. We want to restore peace,” Gallant says.
The defense minister vows to restore security in northern Israel so that residents of Lebanon border communities can return to their homes.
“And we will do this either through an agreement process, or with forceful action, with all its implications,” he says.
“We don’t want war, but we won’t hold it for too long,” Gallant adds.
Despite the daily attacks from Lebanon, the IDF has said its main focus remains on the Gaza Strip.
