'Israel' is deterred, not Hezbollah: Former 'Kiryat Shmona' Mayor
3 Min Read
Israeli media cited the former mayor expressing doubt over the government's approach to address the northern situation with Hezbollah's presence.
-
An Israeli occupation soldier in "Kiryat Shmona" standing next to destroyed vehicles following a rocket attack by Hezbollah in December 2023 (AFP)
The former Mayor of the Israeli "Kiryat Shmona" settlement warned on Tuesday that Hezbollah is not the deterred party, but rather it is "Israel."
Talking to Israeli Channel 12, Prosfer Azran criticized the Israeli government's performance regarding the situation on the northern border, expressing doubt in the entity's leadership in stopping the Resistance in Lebanon and diminishing its threats.
Israeli media pointed out on Tuesday that the occupation entity is witnessing an unprecedented period and that the situation on the northern front is "extremely dangerous" and the internal front is under imminent threat.
Read more: Hezbollah forces nearly a quarter-million Israelis to evacuate: WSJ
Further shedding light on the deteriorating situation on the Lebanese-Palestinian borders, Israeli reports stated last week that Hezbollah has "established a security zone several kilometers inside "Israel" using its military capabilities and through its operations against the Israeli occupation."
While Hezbollah is not deterred, "those who negotiate tell us that a political solution will help," Azran said, recalling that previous United Nations resolutions did not prevent reaching the current state.
Economic toll
Since the launch of the war on Gaza in October, Hezbollah directly announced joining the battle in support of Gaza and commenced operations targeting Israeli military positions and northern settlements, conditioning the end of attacks to the cease of the aggression on the Strip.
The Resistance's operations resulted in the evacuation of tens of thousands of Israelis from northern occupied Palestine, which also resulted in the halting of their businesses, which primarily serve as the entity's main poultry and agricultural production regions, subsequently impacting the entire entity's economy and food security.
Read more: Israeli north lost some $131mln in agriculture under Hezbollah's ops.
Additionally, the occupation government was forced to provide monthly payments to fleeing settlers, putting more pressure on the already stagnated economy.
Addressing the potential financial and social costs on the entity, Israeli media reported on Tuesday that the occupation entity suffered a rise in food prices this year due to increased shipping costs, attributed to the growing Yemeni operations, concerns over maritime routes in the Red Sea, and Hezbollah's operations.
However, these prices would soar even higher in the case that a war with Hezbollah would start, the outlet said.
