Military Operation Needed to Stop Hezbollah’s Daily Attacks, Top IDF General Says

Latest Developments

The head of Israel’s Northern Command is pushing for Israeli officials to act against Hezbollah threats by creating a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, The Times of Israel reported on September 16. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin “has reportedly begun actively lobbying leaders to okay a ground offensive into southern Lebanon with the goal of securing a buffer zone and halting over 11 months of incessant attacks on towns and communities in the Galilee, amid disagreements over the matter among politicians and defense brass,” the report noted. At the same time, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and said that the time frame for an agreement to prevent a war in the north was closing amid escalating Hezbollah attacks. Since Hezbollah launched its attacks on Israel in the wake of the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel, 26 Israeli civilians have been killed along with 20 IDF soldiers and reservists.

Expert Analysis

“Hezbollah’s daily attacks for 11 months are pushing Israel to consider a large military operation to clear these Iran-backed terrorists from the border so that Israeli civilians, who were evacuated following the Hamas atrocities of October 7, can return to their homes in peace.” — Seth J. Frantzman, FDD Adjunct Fellow

“Israel cannot place itself in a position where it allows Hezbollah and the Iran-led Axis of Resistance to control the lives of Israelis in the north. While a ceasefire will likely lead to a cessation of Hezbollah’s attacks, a dangerous precedent may be set where the Lebanese group will claim victory, asserting that it forced Jerusalem to capitulate to its demands of a ceasefire in Gaza for quiet on its northern border. This narrative may lead to Hezbollah repeating a similar strategy in the future, undermining Israel’s security.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

U.S. Envoy Amos Hochstein Meets With Israeli Leaders

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a meeting with U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein on Monday, September 16. In advance of their talks, Netanyahu said that the situation in northern Israel “cannot continue.” Earlier in the day, Hochstein met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who told him that the more than 60,000 Israelis displaced by Hezbollah attacks would only be able to securely return to their homes through a military operation. Meanwhile, Israel’s Defense Ministry said on September 16 that it had equipped 97 standby squads of local security professionals who are tasked with defending communities in the north in case of local threats. On the same day, Hezbollah launched a drone that struck northern Israel, sparking a fire in the Upper Galilee region.

Related Analysis

“Hezbollah Drone Strikes Israeli Apartment Building in Nahariya,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hezbollah Launches Fifty Rockets at Israel, Striking Town in Golan,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hezbollah Unveils Vast Underground Missile Complex,” FDD Flash Brief