Former minister of military affairs Avigdor Lieberman says Israel has lost the war in the north to Lebanon's Hezbollah forces.
“The launch of hundreds of rockets and drones at the residents of northern Israel over the last week is a proof of the ruling cabinet’s inability to deal with Hezbollah’s threats,” he wrote on the social media platform X on Friday.
“The activities of the Israeli military, mainly through the air force, do not stop the situation in which the residents of the north receive daily instructions to stay close to bomb shelters,” he added.
Lieberman said tens of thousands of Israeli settlers displaced from the north as a result of the ongoing conflict do not know if the school year will open, and many factories and workshops have been shifted to other areas.
“The challenges in the north are great for the current Israeli administration. It has, therefore, no right to stay in power,” Lieberman said.
Poll: 75% of settlers say Israel’s handling of war in north ‘poor’
Meanwhile, a recent opinion poll conducted by the Israeli Channel 12 shows 75% of settlers believe Israel’s handling of the war in the north has been “poor”.
The poll also found that 55% of settlers favor early elections, expressing a desire for new leadership, while 36% prefer the current administration to complete its term.
Last month, a survey conducted by the Jewish People’s Policy Institute (JPPI) revealed that the majority of Israeli settlers lack confidence in prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his cabinet, and the Israeli military leadership.
According to the report, trust in the Israeli military has drastically decreased, with 55% of respondents expressing low confidence in its leadership.
Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging deadly fire since early October last year, shortly after the regime launched a ferocious war on the Gaza Strip after a surprise operation by the Palestinian Hamas resistance group.
The Lebanese resistance movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory attacks as long as the Israeli regime continues its war on Gaza.
Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said they do not want a war with Israel while stressing that they are prepared in case it occurs.
Two Israeli wars waged against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006 were met with strong resistance from Hezbollah, resulting in the retreat of the regime in both conflicts.