Remarks, closed-door talks gapped; no war in North soon: Israeli media

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
28 Jun 2024 12:22
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The Israeli Channel 14's political correspondent suggests that it is "Israel's" reluctance, due to associated costs, that plays a significant role in preventing the war with Hezbollah.

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Fires and smoke rise at buildings in the town of Metulla, hit by Hezbollah shelling, as seen from the Lebanese town of Marjayoun, Lebanon, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (AP)

Matanyahu Englman, the Israeli "State Comptroller", warned on Thursday that "Israel" is unprepared for settler evacuations in the event of a war in the North along the border with Lebanon due to disagreements between Security Minister Yoav Gallant and Interior Minister Moshe Arbel.

In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Englman highlighted the dispute, explaining that the two ministries cannot agree on who is responsible for evacuating settlers during emergencies.

Englman wrote that the Interior Ministry claims its responsibility is limited to government-initiated evacuations to schools, asserting that decisions to evacuate settlers to other locations, such as hotels, fall outside its jurisdiction.

On the other hand, the Israeli Security Ministry argues that the Interior Ministry should manage setter care and provide evacuation solutions.

Earlier this month, Gallant warned Arbel in a letter that the war on Gaza could expand to Lebanon, necessitating more extensive northern evacuations than those conducted after October 7.

"There has been opposition from the Interior Ministry to advance a plan for such an evacuation if it were to become necessary as the ministry claims the matter is not under its responsibility unless the evacuation would be to schools," Englman pointed out.

In his response to Gallant, Arbel indicated that his ministry "is not responsible for a proactive evacuation of the population" and deemed the suggested plan inapplicable, opposing its implementation.

Englman informed Netanyahu that the ministers' exchange underscored the unresolved issue of settler evacuations during emergencies.

He mentioned that "this issue was underscored especially during tours I took in the North and the South since the beginning of the war as well as during meetings I held with evacuees and heads of local and regional authorities."

For instance, Englman noted that the settlers of Kiryat Shmona are currently dispersed across some 300 locations, making it challenging for the municipality to maintain contact.

He added that the authorities of many regions to which settlers have evacuated also struggle to provide adequate education, welfare, health, and employment services.

Elsewhere, Englman warned of the "severe consequences that may arise from the lack of proper evacuation organization," urging Netanyahu to intervene in order to resolve the dispute between the two ministers and bring about a swift solution to ensure that "Israel" has an effective plan to provide necessary services to the evacuees.

'Israel', Hezbollah war highly likely may not happen at all

In a related context, the Israeli Channel 14's political correspondent, Tamir Morag, suggested that a war between "Israel" and Hezbollah is not expected to break out in the near future, and it is highly likely that it may not happen at all.

Morag, who criticized the gap between the public statements made by political leaders and the discussions held behind closed doors, emphasized that more than US pressure, it is "Israel's" reluctance to engage in a war with Hezbollah due to the associated costs that plays a significant role in preventing the war.

He suggested that Israeli leaders will tell settlers in the North that "Hezbollah has suffered a severe blow, the situation on the border has changed dramatically, and the scenario of October 7, 2023, cannot be repeated."

At the same time, according to Morag, there will be substantial pressure on settlers to return to the North through significant financial incentives that will be cut off if they refuse to return. The Israeli correspondent noted that the same situation applies to the Gaza Envelope settlements as well.

"The Israelis in the north need to know that the decision regarding a real war against Hezbollah is in their hands: if they return, there will be no war, and if they don't, the Israeli government and army will have no choice but to fight," he stressed.

Morag considered that Hezbollah has successfully emptied an entire corridor throughout the war, warning that if the Lebanese group "feels victorious", the next war will come soon and will be completely different from the war that "Israel" is preparing for.