Israel’s Council of Ministers to Designate Return of Civilians to Their Homes in Northern Israel as ‘War Purpose’ – What Does This Mean in Practice and What Are the Consequences for Gaza
Hezbollah fired more than 50 rockets into the northern Galilee since morning, and the Israeli air force retaliated by bombing the organization’s targets in southern Lebanon. Amidst this tension, the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem announced that the return of Israeli citizens to their homes in northern Israel will be designated as a “war objective” during the upcoming meeting of the small security and defense cabinet.
Practically, this development means that Israel is going to officially expand military operations in Lebanon as well, given that for eleven months, the northern regions of the country have been living a daily life of war, with many cities in the region already evacuated.
It is worth noting that the day before yesterday Hezbollah issued an order to evacuate many cities of South Lebanon, due to the imminent expansion of military operations.
At the same time, the statements of Israeli officials are increasing that the situation in southern Gaza has been brought under control, stressing that the vast majority of Hamas tunnels on the border with Egypt have been destroyed.
Government sources told local state media that, despite military officials to the contrary, the intensity of operations in Gaza must be reduced “so as not to endanger the lives of those hostages who are still alive.” Thus, the general climate prevailing in the last twenty-four hours demonstrates that the intention of the Israeli side is to reduce the tension in Gaza in order to shift the burden of operations to Lebanon.
Arab Power in the Philadelphia Axis?
While negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza have stalled, there has been surprise news that behind-the-scenes talks are underway in Morocco, where officials from Egypt, Morocco, Mauritania and Djibouti are discussing the creation of an Arab multinational force to control the Axis of Philadelphia, either entirely or with a simultaneous Israeli presence.
Such a development, which has not been officially commented on by any party involved, may be a temporary alternative, while the future of the “Biden framework” for a ceasefire in Gaza remains uncertain.
Source :Skai
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