Defense Minister Yoav Gallant responds to security developments in northern Israel, stresses, ‘Our success is dependent on proper conduct from the home front.’
Yoav Gallant at a situational assessmentAriel Hermoni/Defense Ministry
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a special situational assessment on the matter of the Israeli home front’s readiness for a lengthy war.
During the assessment, Gallant emphasized the need for increased preparedness in all areas, and the importance of cooperation between all security bodies, government offices, and local authorities, out of a broad responsibility towards the public.
“The home front’s strength is the key which allows the IDF to fight, to reach achievements, to harm the enemy, and it has been ongoing for about a year already, and done in a very impressive fashion,” Gallant said.
“We are deepening our strikes in Lebanon, and our chain of actions is continuing and will continue until we achieve our goals: returning the residents of northern Israel safely. This success is dependent, among other things, on proper conduct by the home front, and therefore, we are sitting, talking, and concentrating our efforts.”
“Ahead of us are days during which the public will need to show levelheadedness, discipline, and full obedience to the instructions of the Home Front Command. The difference between success and lack of success is dependent on civilians entering their protected rooms and other areas in accordance with the instructions provided to them. This has saved lives.”
SEPTEMBER 23, 2024 10:33Updated: SEPTEMBER 23, 2024 11:07
A third Lebanon War has already begun in the wake of the significant IDF strikes against Hezbollah deep into Lebanon, a security official estimated on Monday in comments to Ynet.
“I don’t think it’s too early to refer to these events in the Northern as the ‘Third Lebanon War,'” the official said.
The official told Ynet that in the early afternoon, the IDF will launch an attack “on a massive scale” in rural areas of Lebanon.
The source added that Hezbollah’s possible response may be on a larger scale than previously, and with an expanded range of fire.
“Hezbollah will certainly respond with large amounts of fire on northern Israel,” added the source, “and possibly also on targets in Tel Aviv.”
Smoke rises as the Israeli army strikes southern Lebanon on Sept. 22, 2024. (credit: Ramiz Dallah/Anadolu via Getty Images)
IDF Chief Spokesman Daniel Hagari, for the first time, issued a broad warning to the general public in southern Lebanon that if they have not already moved away from houses and other civilian buildings where they live and reside – but where Hezbollah has stored rockets or undertaken other actions – now they must leave those areas.
New stage of war
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant asked the Israeli public on Monday to retain composure after the IDF conducted new strikes on Hezbollah and warned Lebanese civilians to evacuate structures where the terror organization has stored rockets or undertaken other actions.
“At this new stage of the war – our success depends on the behavior of the public. There are days ahead of us when the public will have to show composure.”
Israel’s Home Front Command warned on Monday morning to expect a day of heavy fighting with Hezbollah, Army Radio reported.
Hezbollah fired its deepest barrage into Israel since the beginning of the current war, with four rounds of over 150 rockets, cruise missiles, and drones fired into the Jezreel Valley in the early hours of Sunday morning, the IDF confirmed.
Alerts were sounded in and around Haifa, the Ramat David air base, Nazareth, Afula, the lower Galilee, and the Jezreel Valley.
Following the barrage, the IDF stated that they were conducting strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
As a result of the fire on northern Israel, six people were wounded, and they were evacuated to the Emek Medical Center in Afula, the Medical Center announced. Magen David Adom (MDA) teams were called to treat four individuals with shrapnel injuries, including a 76-year-old man in moderate condition, as well as a 70-year-old man, a 60-year-old man, and a 16-year-old girl in moderate condition.
Two houses were hit in Kiryat Bialik following a fourth wave of rocket attacks from Lebanon, according to Israeli media.
Initial reports also stated that one person had been killed and that most of the casualties were from a car accident resulting from panic from the rocket fire.
Damage in Israel’s North following multiple Hezbollah rocket barrages on September 22, 2024 (credit: MDA SPOKESPERSON)
Army Radio and Israeli state broadcaster KAN reported that Hezbollah specifically targeted the Ramat David base near Haifa for the first time in the war. Hezbollah confirmed this, stating it had targeted the Ramat David base and airport in response to Israel Air Force (IAF) strikes in Beirut, which killed some of its top commanders.
The impact of the Lebanese terror group’s counterattack so far, while much farther and potentially deadlier than its general attacks limited to the Upper Galilee and Golan, has been significantly less than expected by the IDF and the general public, given its pre-war arsenal of 150,000 rockets.
Its attempts to perpetrate graver damage and larger casualties deeper into Israel come following a whirlwind week in which the IDF destroyed over 400 rocket launchers, many thousands of rockets, killed Hezbollah’s special forces Radwan chief and around 16 of his deputies, and has been accused of wounding around 3,000-4,000 Hezbollah operatives using explosive device sabotage.
The IDF said that it would continue massive strikes on Hezbollah’s capabilities, mostly focused on southern Lebanon in response.
Israel’s goal remains to deter Hezbollah into a ceasefire and to achieve some kind of removal of Radwan forces from southern Lebanon, while the Lebanese organization’s goal remains to maintain rocket fire on the Jewish state until a deal is reached with Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar.
Hezbollah specifically targeted the Ramat David base near Haifa for the first time in the war.
Hezbollah later confirmed this, saying it had targeted the Ramat David base and airport “with dozens of Fadi 1, Fadi 2, and Katyusha missiles” in response to the pager and walkie-talkie attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Hezbollah’s response to pager attack attributed to Israel
Hezbollah rockets struck Moshav Sde Ya’akov, and a fire broke out from another rocket in Kfar Baruch. The Emek Jezreel Regional Council said that one hit caused minor property damage in the area.
One rocket struck Nazareth, and a large fire broke out elsewhere in the city. MDA reported that a 60-year-old man was slightly wounded by shrapnel in the Lower Galilee.
A barn was struck in Beit She’arim, in the lower Galilee, resulting in the deaths of several cows in the third barrage, KAN and Army Radio reported. At least one other rocket also struck another unidentified area, the IDF confirmed.
Israel Police urged the public to stay away from rocket shrapnel or fragments, as they may contain explosive material.
According to KAN, residents of Kiryat Tivon said they were unable to access public shelters because they were locked.
Al Hadath, a Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese outlet, reported that Hezbollah fired 100 rockets towards Haifa and the Upper Galilee, however the IDF claimed it was fewer. Sometimes Hezbollah will fire rockets, but many of them do not cross the border, which could account for some of the discrepancy.
At around 2 a.m., Hezbollah reported Israeli air force jets over southern Lebanon.
The UN’s Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, issued a statement on the development, saying, “It cannot be overstated enough, there is no military solution that will make either side safer.”
New Home Front Command guidelines
The Home Front Command issued new defensive guidelines on Saturday and again on Sunday that limited gatherings to 30 people outdoors and 300 indoors from Haifa and northward, and then closed all educational settings in those areas.
There were no changes southward of Haifa, but the Home Front Command said this could change at any time based on upcoming Hezbollah attacks.
According to Israeli media, these are the first alarms to be activated in Afula in more than nine months.The IDF spokesman said that the incident is being investigated.
The targeting of Ramat David follows Hezbollah’s publishing of drone footage of the IDF Ramat David base in July. The Ramat David base is about 46 km (28.6 mi) from Israel’s border with Lebanon.
