Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant's statement regarding the killing of half of Hezbollah's leaders in South Lebanon is "exaggerated", Reserve Major General Yaakov Amidror, the former Security Advisor and head of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate's Research Department, told Israeli broadcaster Channel 14.

In this context, Amidror stressed that Israeli officials should abstain from "living in delusions."

The highly-accoladed former Israeli military official said Hezbollah still possesses a vast number of missiles and other weapons, adding that "Israel" has failed to damage "the edges" of Hezbollah's arsenal. 

"It is not yet time for war in the north," the reserve Major General stressed, adding, "We should not be preoccupied with Gaza and Lebanon at the same time."

As for the tens of thousands of Israeli settlers that have been evacuated from northern occupied territories, Amigdror said that the only way they could return to their colonial outposts is if the United States were to achieve a "diplomatic deal" with the engaging parties or else the Israeli military would have to use force. 

"Then we do not know how [the war] will start and we do not know how it will end, and we should prepare for a large-scale war," Amigdror stated. 

"Israeli operations are not largely effective against Hezbollah's combat capacity," he added. 

"Entering a large-scale war against Hezbollah is a completely different story and of another level of difficulty," the former intelligence chief underlined. 

"What is happening on both sides of the border are tactical operations that hold no practical or strategic impact," Amigdror claimed. 

On his part, the head of the Israeli Upper al-Jalil Regional Council, Giora Zaltz, said, "The north is empty because everyone is afraid to come here."

"What Gallant has said and what military analysts are saying is of no importance to the residents of the north that have been evacuated," Zaltz emphasized, pointing to the de facto state of insecurity imposed by Hezbollah on Israeli occupiers. 

Hezbollah says that its operations in northern occupied territories have led to the evacuation of approximately 230,000 Israeli settlers, killing and injuring more than 2,000 military personnel.

1,650 operations in 200 days.

The Islamic Resistance in #Lebanon has been relentlessly striking Israeli targets in support of #Gaza and its people against the ongoing Israeli #genocide. pic.twitter.com/BaISsFhayQ

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 24, 2024

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon has carried on its work from South Lebanon for the past 200 days, supporting the Palestinian people and their Resistance in the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli occupation continues its genocidal war on Gaza.

The Resistance has made it clear on different occasions that its operations are intrinsically tied to the state of the war on Gaza, making it beyond clear that it will only stop its supportive attacks if the war on Palestine comes to an end. 

Read more: Tally of Hezbollah's operations against Israeli occupation in 200 days