Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Sunday that while Israel is not looking for war with Hezbollah, if necessary, his country could "copy-paste" its military actions in Gaza to Beirut, Lebanon.
Gallant said “the priority isn’t to get into a war” with Hezbollah but “eighty-thousand people need to be able to go back to their homes safely,” the WSJ reported.
Gallant also stated that if no agreement is negotiated to make that possible, then, Israel wouldn’t shrink from military action, adding “we are willing to sacrifice.”
“They see what is happening in Gaza. They know we can copy-paste to Beirut,” Gallant told WSJ.
Gallant also said he believes Israel is "fighting an axis, not a single enemy,” and “Iran is building up military power around Israel in order to use it," according to the report.
Israel is determined to destroy Iran-backed Hamas, but also to act with enough force to deter other potential adversaries allied with Tehran, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Gallant said in the WSJ interview.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Friday during a speech that the group's attacks on Israel aim "to mount pressure on the enemy government and to stop the assault on Gaza" and reiterated that the death of Saleh Al-Arouri, a senior figure in Hamas, in Beirut will “not go unpunished.”
The Hezbollah leader also warned that people in northern Israel would be the first to suffer consequences in the event of a broader conflict.