Ahmed Asmar
19 October 2023•Update: 19 October 2023
JERUSALEM
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Wednesday that the army must be prepared at the northern front against any move by the Lebanese Hezbollah group.
Gallant made the comment at a closed meeting with senior government officials, according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN.
He said necessary preparations on the northern front must be made, as Hezbollah is "10 times stronger than (the Palestinian group) Hamas."
At the meeting, Gallant asked government officials to finalize transferring military equipment to the northern front.
Over the day, the Israeli army and Hezbollah attacked each other’s sites, according to statements by both sides.
At least 10 Hezbollah fighters have been killed since the outbreak of violence on the border between Lebanon and Israel.
The escalation came amid Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a surprise attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 on Israeli border towns.
At least 3,478 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, while more than 1,400 Israelis have been killed since the start of the operation.
Hezbollah has fought several wars with Israel, the latest of which was in 2006, during which the Lebanese group struck major Israeli cities with rockets, causing significant material damage.
Over 1,000 Lebanese were killed in the conflict, while much of southern Lebanon – a Hezbollah stronghold – was devastated by Israeli attacks.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar
