Israeli Channel 14 reported that Tel Aviv is seeking to reach an agreement with Beirut through political means, and avoid war.
The channel indicated that Defense Minister Yoav Galant said during his meeting with the heads of the Israeli settlements in the north that Israel is trying to reach an agreement with Lebanon “through political means, because even if we go to war, there will be a ceasefire in the end.”
Gallant explained that if a political settlement is not reached, “Israel has other options,” as he put it.
Fears
An Israeli academic study published yesterday showed that about 60% of the settlers who were evacuated from the northern regions feared returning to their homes.
While about 40% of those who remained in their homes confirmed that they experienced “post-traumatic stress” symptoms without receiving organized psychological support from the state, according to what was reported by Israeli Channel 13.
The study also showed that post-traumatic feelings increased three times among the residents of the Eastern Galilee, compared to the period before the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle.
Government decision
In an attempt to appease the settlers on the border with Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced during the same meeting that he would issue a government decision in the coming days to help develop the north, in the amount of 3.5 billion shekels ($930 million).
Netanyahu added that it is wrong to make statements about the expected return of residents, considering that every “word on this matter is considered information for the enemy,” as he described it.
Since the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the start of clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, about 60,000 Israelis have evacuated their homes from towns near the Lebanese border, to hotels in other cities far from the confrontations.
Since last October 8, the Israeli-Lebanese border has witnessed tension and intermittent exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Palestinian factions on the one hand, and the Israeli army on the other hand, which led to deaths and injuries on both sides, in addition to deaths and injuries among Lebanese civilians.
