Israeli Chief of Staff: Clear Changes Must Be Made at Northern Borders

According to the Times of Israel, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, during a visit to the 91st Division stationed in the north of the country, stated that "very clear changes" must be made in the security situation at the shared border with Lebanon. General Herzi Halevi, in a video released by the Israeli Army, said: "We must return to a different situation both in the south and in the north so that both security and the feeling of security can be restored once again." He added: "The Israeli government has never said that war is the first option, but we know that in the situation here [at the northern border], a very, very clear change must take place." General Halevi's visit to the northern border of Israel came at a time when Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas and supported by the Islamic Republic, has targeted military and civilian bases in northern Israel with repeated rocket, missile, and drone attacks during the war between Israel and Hamas. Hamas and its allied militants killed at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in attacks on October 7 and took about 240 hostages, including children, women, and the elderly, by storming southern Israel. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Australia, and many other countries have classified Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group as terrorist organizations. The U.S. has listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization since 1997. The UK, Australia, Israel, the Netherlands, and Gulf Arab states have long declared Hezbollah as a terrorist group. All three groups, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah, are supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, on Sunday, December 3, 11 people in northern Israel were injured due to an anti-tank guided missile attack launched by Hezbollah. According to the Israeli Army, fighter jets attacked several Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon in response to these attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on October 16, on the eve of comprehensive ground, air, and naval attacks on Gaza, that the Iranian government and Hezbollah should not "test us" in northern Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also warned the United Nations Security Council that if Resolution 1701, which calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, is not fully implemented, the likelihood of a regional war exists. According to the Times of Israel, the Israeli television network Channel 12 reported that Cohen, in a letter to the Security Council, stated: "In order to stabilize the region and prevent escalation, the next UN Security Council meeting must take a completely different approach to end the dangerous violations by Hezbollah and other terrorist groups at the border. The Israeli Army's response to rocket attacks from Lebanon: Netanyahu warned that if Hezbollah takes comprehensive action, Beirut will become another Gaza. Israel and the U.S. are negotiating the removal of Hamas from Gaza. The Israeli Army stated: We intercepted and shot down a projectile fired from Lebanon. An Iraqi militia group, affiliated with the Islamic Republic, stated: We adhere to the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Hezbollah fired more than 50 rockets into northern Israel. Israel: If the disarmament resolution for Hezbollah is not implemented, the likelihood of a regional war exists.