Netanyahu says Israel is winding down its Gaza operations. But he warns a Lebanon war could be next
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the current phase of fighting against Hamas in Gaza is winding down, setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The comments threatened to further heighten the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah at a time when they appear to be moving closer to war. Netanyahu also signaled that there is no end in sight for the grinding war in Gaza.
The Israeli leader said in a lengthy TV interview that while the army is close to completing its current ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, that would not mean the war against Hamas is over. But he said fewer troops would be needed in Gaza, freeing up forces to battle Hezbollah.
<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Thousands of Iran-backed fighters offer to join Hezbollah in its fight against Israel </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> At least 39 people killed in Israeli strikes across northern Gaza, officials say </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Israel’s Netanyahu blames Biden for withholding weapons. US officials say that’s not the whole story </bsp-custom-headline> </bsp-list-loadmore>“We will have the possibility of transferring some of our forces north, and we will do that,” he told Israel’s Channel 14, a pro-Netanyahu TV channel, in an interview that was frequently interrupted by applause from the studio