The News
Israel announced an expansion of its war aims on Tuesday to include halting attacks by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
Israel will now seek to return residents of its northern regions — who fled as a result of cross-border fire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah — back to their homes.
The latest addition to the country’s goals come with ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations over the war in Gaza languishing.
SIGNALS
Netanyahu hopes to solve ‘political headaches’ by replacing Gallant
As Israel expands its war goals, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant looks set to be replaced by the more hardline Gideon Saar. Just as the sticking point of the Philadelphi corridor “came out of nowhere” to obstruct a hostage deal, Netanyahu has now invented a “new excuse” — Gallant’s apparent softness on the Lebanon issue — as a pretext for moving towards all-out war, and ensure the stability of his governing coalition, Haaretz’ military analyst argued. Appointing Saar would also “ease two political headaches” for the premier by helping him to pass a new state budget and conscription law acceptable to his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners, Reuters noted.
…But the backlash has already begun
National Unity chairman Benny Gantz slammed the expansion of Israel’s war goals and the floated replacement of Gallant with Saar as “security recklessness,” calling the move “the painful dictionary definition of petty politics,” The Times of Israel reported. The news sent Israeli markets lower on Monday, Reuters noted, and the Israel Business Forum, which represents most private sector workers in the country, urged Netanyahu to rethink his plans, arguing they would further harm Israel’s economy.
