According to Yedioth Ahronot, Israeli officials told Hochstein that if diplomacy fails to resolve the tensions, they are determined to resort to military action to drive Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon.
They emphasized that security must be restored on the northern border in order for Israelis evacuated from the area to return to their homes, otherwise the Israelis will refuse to return.
HE WENT TO TEL AVIV
Biden's advisor Hochstein traveled to Tel Aviv in an attempt to reduce the rising tensions with Hezbollah after the killing of senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut.
On January 4, Hochstein met with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Former Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and War Cabinet member Benny Gantz announced on December 28 that Tel Aviv could take new steps if tensions with Hezbollah on the Lebanese border were not resolved through diplomacy.
Since October 8, there have been occasional clashes between the Israeli army and Hezbollah on the border. In these clashes, 28 Lebanese civilians and 129 Hezbollah members were killed, and according to the Israeli forces, 5 Israeli civilians and 9 Israeli soldiers were killed.
On January 2, forces loyal to the Tel Aviv administration targeted the Hamas office in the Dahiyeh area in Beirut, known as the "stronghold of Hezbollah", with an airstrike, killing Deputy Political Bureau Head Saleh al-Arouri, leading to concerns that the ongoing controlled clashes between Hezbollah and Israel could turn into an all-out war.
