War games: Netanyahu warns Iran, Hezbollah of ‘red lines’ on Lebanon border

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday vowed to oppose any attempt to establish military outposts along Israel's borders with Lebanon and Syria, warning Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah of "red lines."

On Tuesday, Netanyahu, along with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant visited the military's Northern Command headquarters in the city of Safed. Despite the border's relative calm,Netanyahu seems to have adopted a combative attitude,The Times of Israel reported.

“The main enemy we are facing is the terror regime in Iran and its satellites in Syria and Lebanon,” Netanyahu said.

“We are determined to fight Iran’s attempts to develop a nuclear arsenal. We are determined to fight any attempt by Iran to entrench itself on our northern military frontier in Syria. We are determined to fight all attempts by Hezbollah to show aggression against us from Lebanon. And we will remind those who need to be reminded of our red lines in this matter,” The Jerusalem Post quoted Netanyahu, as saying.

Adding that peace is an "important goal," Gallant pledged to stop Iran’s military entrenchment in Syria and to “cut off the channels used to transfer Iranian weapons to Lebanon and Hezbollah.”

“The quiet in the north is an important goal. Therefore, along with maintaining calm, we will act powerfully against any attempt to harm Israeli citizens and IDF soldiers,” he added, The Times of Israel reported.

Netanyahu paid a visit to the north one day after speaking to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) about the threat posed by Iran's pursuit of nuclear armament and the significance of forging a shared stance between Jerusalem and Washington against the Islamic Republic.

On Wednesday, the army is slated to undertake a military exercise in the Galilee Panhandle that includes artillery firing toward the Mount Dov region near the Lebanon border. Mount Dove, also known as Sheba Farms is a disputed territory that Israel, Lebanon, and Syria all claim as their own.

Israel and Lebanon are still technically at war, and the border witnesses occasional confrontations.

Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is currently in the US where he visited with Biden administration officials to discuss Iran and theUS National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is scheduled to visit Israel later this month.

With a tenure spanning from 2009 until 2021, Netanyahu is the longest-serving prime minister of Israel. His return as the Prime Minister in December marks his sixth term in office.

(With inputs from agencies)

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