Defense Minister Gallant Warns Israel Can Carry Out Attacks Like those in Gaza Against Lebanon If Necessary

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (black uniform). (Source: Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

JAKARTA - Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Israel could move or carry out an attack like in Gaza against Beirut, the capital of Lebanon if necessary, linking it to the presence of the Hezbollah group while warning Iran.

Israel is not afraid to go to war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon if push comes to shove, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in an interview on Sunday.

Defending Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, Minister of Defense Gallant explained that among other purposes, this was aimed at warning Iran and its proxies not to launch similar attacks in the future.

"My basic view: We are fighting one axis, not one enemy," he said, according to The Times of Israel, January 9.

"Iran is building military power around Israel to use it," he stressed.

Tehran claims Hamas acted independently in the attack on southern Israel on October 7. Yesterday,  IDF  they have discovered equipment used by Hamas to develop precision guided missiles under Iranian supervision.

At the same time that Israel is fighting Hamas on its southern border, it is also fighting Hezbollah on its northern border, albeit to a more limited extent.

Defense Minister Gallant said his "priority is not going to war" with Hezbollah. However, "eighty thousand people should be able to return to their homes safely," the WSJ reported.

Gallant also stated that if no agreement was negotiated to make this happen, then Israel would not hesitate to take military action, adding "we are willing to make sacrifices."

"They saw what was happening in Gaza. They knew we could copy-paste it to Beirut," Gallant told WSJ.

Last week, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech on Friday that the group's attacks on Israel were aimed "to increase pressure on the enemy government and stop attacks on Gaza" and reiterated the death of Saleh Al-Arouri, a senior figure in Hamas, in Beirut "will not go unpunished."

The Hezbollah leader also warned that people in northern Israel would be the first to bear the impact if a wider conflict broke out.