Gantz calls for Shift in Focus to Lebanon

Former war cabinet member Benny Gantz, who leads the National Unity faction in the Knesset, was in Washington DC over the weekend to attend the Middle East America Dialogue (MEAD) summit event. While there, he discussed the current situation in Israel, saying that the focus of the IDF's efforts should shift away from the Gaza Strip and towards the threat from Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

“The time for [action in] the north has come,” he said. “Actually, I think we are late on this.”

“We need to ensure that we can return residents to their homes," he added. "We can achieve this goal, even if it requires striking Lebanon itself. Unfortunately, I don’t see another way.”

He added that in his assesment, the danger from Hamas in the Gaza Strip has faded to the point that “the story of Hamas is old news. The story of Iran and its proxies all around the area and what they are trying to do is the real issue.”