Top Israeli brass say not seeking confrontation with Hezbollah

Israeli military officials say they don’t want a confrontation with the Hezbollah resistance movement, amid tensions near the border fence between Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied territories, reports say.

The Palestinian Sama news agency reported that the overview presented by senior military officials to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting on Sunday said “We don’t need to enter into a confrontation that we don’t need or want at the time.” 

Israel’s Walla website also reported the meeting made it clear that “there is no benefit to running towards a confrontation” with Hezbollah.

Over the meeting, Netanyahu met the minister of military affairs, Yoav Gallant, and the heads of the military, Mossad spy agency, and Shin Bet, as well as numerous other top officials to discuss the situation near the fence separating Lebanon from the occupied territories.

Netanyahu’s office said “The prime minister accepted the recommendations and courses of action” proposed by the Israeli military, without giving details on what was discussed at the meeting.

According to a correspondent of Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper and Ynet website, the meeting didn’t yield “concrete decisions”, and it only saw the premier approving a number of working methods.

The journalist also cited senior officials with Israeli “security apparatuses” as saying that “We are not running towards a confrontation in the north.”

Tensions come as Israel claims a tent, which is erected in southern Lebanon, has been set up by Hezbollah beyond the UN Blue Line – the de-facto border between Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

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During the Sunday meeting, the Israeli army even expressed its support for “talks mediated by an international party” to solve the dispute, according to Israeli TV channel Kan 11.

Kan 11 cited informed sources as saying the meeting “approved a string of events and reactions that were designed on the basis that Israel doesn’t want to be drawn into the conflict”, and that “the situation could develop into this direction.”

The Israeli army’s radio station also cited unnamed sources as saying that Israel “won’t take any measure that we are forced into it, these tents don’t pose a security threat and we won’t be engaged into any movement that we are not interested in”.

Some Israeli analysts argue that the Israeli cabinet’s statement expects a possible escalation in case Israel removed the tent by force.

The military correspondent of the Israeli army’s radio station said the wording of the statement of the PM’s office, which referred to the premier’s “acceptance” of recommendations proposed by the Israeli military establishment, points out that he has actually begun to defend himself against possible accusations that may be leveled against him in the future.

Such accusations, the correspondent said, would blame him for pushing for military movements to divert attention from the crisis in Israel, if the situation turned into a military confrontation.

The meeting came amid fears that Hezbollah’s Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah “is likely to seek provocations along the border, sensing that Israel, facing an ongoing internal crisis, will avoid a severe response” Channel 12 said, in reference to months of anti-regime protests that have been taking place in the occupied territories since the introduction of a controversial judicial overhaul plan in January.

Nasrallah has already hit out at Israel for talking about “provocations.”

In a speech on Saturday, Nasrallah said Israel “is still occupying parts of Lebanese lands and brazenly talks about provocations.”

“I say to the Zionists: ‘Beware of any stupid step or decisions of one kind or another, the resistance does not take its responsibility for responding and liberating lands lightly. We are ready for any option and we will not remain silent in the face of any stupid act,’.”

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