Israel is aware that its response to the Hamas attacks on October 7 could trigger a wider regional conflict, which could be “a huge challenge,” a spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces said Friday.
The IDF needs “to be prepared for that,” Lt. Col. Peter Lerner told CNN on Friday. He noted the military has called up “some 300,000 reservists in order to be prepared for an eventuality that there may be a broader conflict.”
In an interview with CNN’s Max Foster and Bianca Nobilo, Lerner said that while the reservists will be focused on Gaza, the IDF has reinforced its forces along the northern border with Lebanon where Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Islamist movement, has increasingly clashed with Israel’s military over the last week.
On Friday, Israel’s Ministry of Defense said at least 23,000 residents of Kiryat Shmona, located near the Lebanese border, have been asked to evacuate in addition to an earlier plan to evacuate 28 communities living within 2 kilometers of the Lebanese border.
Lerner held the government of Lebanon responsible for the actions of Hezbollah saying it is a sovereign state with control over its borders and thereby has “the responsibility to make sure the terrorists like Hezbollah – a terrorist army – does not launch attacks against Israel.”
He also alleged that “Hezbollah, under the guidance and encouragement of Iran, is operating to divert our attention.”
Lerner warned that while the Israeli military’s sole focus right now is on “dismantling and destroying Hamas step-by-step,” Hezbollah should pay “close attention” and “think if they really want to cross that threshold” with Israel.
