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Israel Calls on Northern Authorities to Prepare for War along Border with Lebanon

A man and a woman in front of one of the buildings that was subjected to Israeli bombing in the Gilo Valley in southern Lebanon (AFP)
A man and a woman in front of one of the buildings that was subjected to Israeli bombing in the Gilo Valley in southern Lebanon (AFP)
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Israel Calls on Northern Authorities to Prepare for War along Border with Lebanon

A man and a woman in front of one of the buildings that was subjected to Israeli bombing in the Gilo Valley in southern Lebanon (AFP)
A man and a woman in front of one of the buildings that was subjected to Israeli bombing in the Gilo Valley in southern Lebanon (AFP)

Israel intensified its attacks on Lebanon’s southern front overnight, expanding the geographical scope of the strikes deep into the South.
In parallel, member of the Israeli War Council, Benny Gantz, called on the heads of local authorities in northern Israel to prepare for “more difficult days... and this may lead to war.”
On Thursday, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted Gantz as saying during a meeting earlier this week with the heads of municipalities and local councils in the north: “I believe that the Lebanese government does not want a large-scale war to break out, and neither does Hezbollah... It is necessary to put pressure on it at this time before everyone goes to a broader war.”
According to the channel, senior political officials held a closed discussion this week, following the escalation in the north.
The ministers of the War Council, Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, said that Israel must strive to reach an agreement with Hamas in order to shift to the north. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu objected, pointing out that achieving the war goals in Gaza was the highest priority, and that it would not be appropriate to deal with the situation in the north until the war goals in the south are attained.
On Thursday, the Israeli army announced in a statement the killing of a soldier during fighting in the north after two explosive drones were launched from Lebanon towards the town of Hurfish in northern Israel.
The death toll in northern Israel due to Hezbollah fire has risen to 15 soldiers and 11 civilians, according to the army, since the start of the clashes.
In Lebanon, 455 people, including 88 civilians, have been killed as a result of the fighting, according to Agence France-Presse.
Clashes began between the Israeli military and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group along the southern Lebanon-Israel border, a day after the Israel-Hamas war broke out on Oct. 7.

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Israel Seeks to Maintain Areas of Control and Influence in Syrian Territory

Military mobility of Israeli army continues on the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams region of Golan Heights in Syria on December 19, 2024 (Anadolu Agency)
Military mobility of Israeli army continues on the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams region of Golan Heights in Syria on December 19, 2024 (Anadolu Agency)
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Israel Seeks to Maintain Areas of Control and Influence in Syrian Territory

Military mobility of Israeli army continues on the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams region of Golan Heights in Syria on December 19, 2024 (Anadolu Agency)
Military mobility of Israeli army continues on the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams region of Golan Heights in Syria on December 19, 2024 (Anadolu Agency)

Israel plans to maintain areas of “control” (occupation) and “influence” (intelligence) in Syrian territory, according to a new operational concept that security officials developed for the new reality in Syria that emerged following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Senior officials in Israel said that the country would need to maintain a 15 km operational perimeter within Syrian territory, where the Israeli army would maintain a presence to ensure that allies of the new regime couldn’t launch missiles toward the Golan Heights, according to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
They also noted the necessity of a “sphere of influence” extending 60 km into Syria, under Israeli intelligence control, to monitor and prevent potential threats from developing.
The new operational concept came a few days after Israeli officials confirmed that their forces will not withdraw from the border buffer zone and the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
Last week, the Kan public broadcaster said in an unsourced report that the new Syrian leadership has asked the US to pressure Israel to withdraw from the buffer zone.
Israeli officials told Kan that they have received no official request on the matter, adding that the Israeli army’s presence at and across the border is necessary to protect its security.
Last month, just hours after factions of the Syrian opposition swept president Bashar al-Assad from power, Israel captured the buffer zone, which was created following the Yom Kippur War of 1967. They also seized the Syrian side of Mount Hermon.
During a visit to Mount Hermon last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that his troops would remain stationed inside Syria “until another arrangement can be found that guarantees Israel’s security.”
Also, Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks across Syria, saying the strikes were aimed at keeping military weapons away from extremists.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli official said that while Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's de facto leader, had sent messages to Israel claiming that his forces weren’t seeking conflict, Israel remained skeptical. “This might hold true for a year, two years, maybe even 10 or 20”, he said.
“But no one can guarantee that eventually, they won’t turn against us – and these are highly dangerous people. (Ahmed) Al-Sharaa’s current goal is to lift sanctions on Syria to bring in foreign funds. But in the long run, Israel must maintain a control zone and a sphere of influence in Syria,” the official said.
He also expressed hope that Israel would receive full backing against threats from Syria and Lebanon after the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.
“In the meantime, we’ll have to remain there, ensuring a 15-km missile-free zone under our control, as well as a 60-km sphere of influence, to prevent threats from developing. We’re building an operational concept for this new reality,” he said.
Israel was also concerned about the potential entrenchment of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Syria, seemingly ignored by al-Sharaa, according to the newspaper.
“We won’t allow their establishment in Syria just as we prevented Iran’s foothold there,” the official said.
“We estimate that al-Sharaa prefers to keep them there so they can act against Israel, giving him plausible deniability,” he added.
These remarks came while Israeli officials were reportedly astounded by what they described as the West's “blindness” toward the regime of Ahmad al-Sharaa, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.