On visit to northern front, Gallant vows to push Hezbollah away from border

On visit to northern front, Gallant vows to push Hezbollah away from border

Yoav Zitun

As the cease-fire in southern Israel entered its third day, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday visited the northern front and vowed to push Hezbollah away from the border and allow residents of the border region to return home safely.

"We will translate the military achievements and the withdrawal of Hezbollah from the front into a situation that will allow the return of the northern residents under completely different conditions from when this campaign began," he told troops.

During a situation assessment, Gallant was briefed on the forces' activities in the eastern sector of the Lebanon border and the Syria border, focusing on defending the region, neutralizing terrorist cells and holding Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations accountable. He commended the commanders and soldiers, both regular and reserve, for their decisive actions in safeguarding the Israeli border communities and combating terrorist elements in the region.

"Here in the eastern sector of Lebanon, overlooking Syria, the soldiers are doing excellent work. The result is the striking and killing of over 100 Hezbollah terrorists, the destruction of dozens of observation posts, warehouses, bunkers, and command centers and the pushing back of Hezbollah forces from the front line to deeper into the territory," Gallant said following the situation assessment.

"These results are very impressive. The combination of all these tactical achievements will translate into a different situation, which will allow the return of the residents under completely different conditions from when we began this campaign."

Regarding his visit to the Strip on Saturday, the defense minister said, "I visited the forces in the Gaza Strip, in the depth of the territory, to understand the situation and see the results of the IDF soldiers' operations. We have reliable forces, prepared, strong and determined, who have achieved excellent results. These achievements of the maneuvering force have enabled the process that created the conditions for the return of the captives in recent days."

On the release of the captives, the Gallant said: "Every captive brought to the State of Israel is important to us. We will make every effort to bring them all back as quickly as possible. We are committed to this, and I am personally committed to it."

He added, "Along with that, the forces are organizing and preparing. Last weekend, I instructed the IDF to prepare for a return to intense combat. We will resume fighting and striking Hamas once the temporary cease-fire, intended for the return of hostages, ends. We are ready to carry out this mission and know how to continue operating until the complete destruction of the Hamas organization and the return of the captives to their homes."