Israel announces 'new phase' in conflict following operation against Hezbollah
The IDF is repositioning troops towards Lebanon following reports of an Israeli operation that reportedly injured thousands of Hezbollah fighters, according to Yoav Gallant. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Israel is reallocating its military forces towards the northern border, concentrating on the challenge posed by Hezbollah, announced Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday. This strategic shift comes in the aftermath of a catastrophic incident where thousands of communication devices used by Hezbollah were destroyed, an event many believe was orchestrated by Israeli intelligence.
During an address to military personnel at Ramat David Airbase near Haifa, Gallant highlighted that Israel's conflict focus was shifting from Hamas to Hezbollah. "The center of gravity is moving north. We are diverting forces, resources, and energy toward the north," he explained, as per a release from his office shared on social media.
The background to this escalation involves ongoing exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel, with the former conducting a subdued military campaign since Israel's aggressive operations in Gaza commenced nearly a year back. Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has previously stated that his strategy involves engaging Israeli forces at the Lebanon border to deter them from redeploying to Gaza. In retaliation, Israeli leaders, including Gallant, have occasionally hinted at a significant onslaught into Lebanon.
In a related development less than two months prior, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz hinted at the anticipation of "all out war" with Hezbollah, choosing to remain vague about the imminent "disproportionate" attack that would trigger such a conflict.
The anticipated strike seemingly occurred on Tuesday when Hezbollah's pagers exploded across Lebanon, claiming lives and causing extensive injuries. A subsequent series of blasts targeting walkie-talkies on Wednesday further exacerbated the casualties.
While Israeli officials have stayed silent on these attacks, attribution to Israel’s Mossad by Lebanese, Israeli, and American informants has been prevalent in discussions. Sources disclosed to Axios that Mossad had prepared the devices for explosion to preemptively strike in the lead-up to a potential full-scale war, opting for an early detonation to mitigate the risk of the bombs being discovered prematurely.
In response to the IDF's strategic repositioning initiated earlier on Wednesday, which included moving the 98th Division from Gaza to northern Israel, Hezbollah issued a stern warning, holding Israel "fully responsible" for the pager incidents and vowing a severe retaliation.
Overall, the situation signals a critical juncture in Israel's military engagements, with the northern frontier becoming the new focal point of its defense and offensive strategies.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
During an address to military personnel at Ramat David Airbase near Haifa, Gallant highlighted that Israel's conflict focus was shifting from Hamas to Hezbollah. "The center of gravity is moving north. We are diverting forces, resources, and energy toward the north," he explained, as per a release from his office shared on social media.
The background to this escalation involves ongoing exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel, with the former conducting a subdued military campaign since Israel's aggressive operations in Gaza commenced nearly a year back. Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has previously stated that his strategy involves engaging Israeli forces at the Lebanon border to deter them from redeploying to Gaza. In retaliation, Israeli leaders, including Gallant, have occasionally hinted at a significant onslaught into Lebanon.
In a related development less than two months prior, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz hinted at the anticipation of "all out war" with Hezbollah, choosing to remain vague about the imminent "disproportionate" attack that would trigger such a conflict.
The anticipated strike seemingly occurred on Tuesday when Hezbollah's pagers exploded across Lebanon, claiming lives and causing extensive injuries. A subsequent series of blasts targeting walkie-talkies on Wednesday further exacerbated the casualties.
While Israeli officials have stayed silent on these attacks, attribution to Israel’s Mossad by Lebanese, Israeli, and American informants has been prevalent in discussions. Sources disclosed to Axios that Mossad had prepared the devices for explosion to preemptively strike in the lead-up to a potential full-scale war, opting for an early detonation to mitigate the risk of the bombs being discovered prematurely.
In response to the IDF's strategic repositioning initiated earlier on Wednesday, which included moving the 98th Division from Gaza to northern Israel, Hezbollah issued a stern warning, holding Israel "fully responsible" for the pager incidents and vowing a severe retaliation.
Overall, the situation signals a critical juncture in Israel's military engagements, with the northern frontier becoming the new focal point of its defense and offensive strategies.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
