Hezbollah missile strikes at Israel’s Tiberias
Hezbollah launched drones at military base west of Israel’s Tiberias. In response, Israel’s Smotrich suggests IDF enter Lebanon, establish security zone if Hezbollah continues firing.
The Jerusalem Post • May 19, 2024
If Hezbollah would continue firing after such an ultimatum, Smotrich said the IDF should launch a defensive attack deep in Lebanese territory, including a ground entry.
Finance Minister and Chairman of the Religious Zionism Party, Bezalel Smotrich, called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to issue an ultimatum to Hezbollah to stop firing on the North, as well as for the permanent presence of the IDF in the entire Gaza Strip and total military occupation of the city of Rafah.
He also insisted on the immediate completion of the operation along the Philadelphi Corridor and the total occupation of the whole city of Rafah. He argued that this “is to prevent the continued smuggling from Egypt to Hamas and to cut off the lifeline to the terrorists.”
Israel’s northern border
Regarding the northern border with Lebanon, Smotrich called on the prime minister to issue an ultimatum to Hezbollah to completely stop firing at northern Israel and to “withdraw all of its forces beyond the Litani River.”
Should Hezbollah continue to fire after such an ultimatum, Smotrich said, the IDF should launch a defensive attack deep in Lebanese territory, which would include a ground entry and an Israeli military takeover of southern Lebanon.
Smotrich’s comments came a day after war cabinet member and Minister-without-Portfolio MK Benny Gantz gave Netanyahu a June 8 deadline to come up with a comprehensive plan for the ‘day after’ Hamas.
Gantz’s plan encompassed returning the hostages, forming a coalition of international and Palestinian actors to take over civilian matters in Gaza, moving forward with a normalization process with Saudi Arabia, and returning Israeli evacuees from the North to their homes by September 1.
Smotrich on Saturday night accused Gantz of de facto advocating for a Palestinian state, which Smotrich said would “certainly” become a “terror country.”
In response to Smotrich’s statements on Sunday, Yisrael Beiteinu MK Avigdor Liberman asked which soldiers would be fulfilling these duties.
“For Minister Smotrich’s information, the Israeli government should have prepared to create a security zone in southern Lebanon several months ago.
The question now is, who exactly will be the force to do this? The reservists who have been on duty for over seven months, or the regular soldiers who haven’t seen home because there aren’t enough troops?”
Liberman concluded, “First, promote recruitment for everyone – then talk,” referring to the ongoing issue of the exemption of haredim from army duty.
Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with mayors from the North late in the afternoon on Sunday. The meeting ended after press time.
Two of these mayors, Metulla’s David Azulay and the head of the Upper Galilee Regional Council, Giora Zaltz, decided in advance to boycott the meeting.
“Therefore behold, the days come,” saith the Lord, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The Lord liveth who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’
but, ‘the Lord liveth who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither He had driven them.’ And I will bring them back into their land that I gave unto their fathers. Jeremiah 16:14-15
Japheth
The Mystery of Esau and Ephraim 