Netanyahu is moving to remove the current Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, while also preparing for an open war with Hezbollah. The appointment of Gideon Saar, a right-wing leader, as Gallant’s replacement suggests Netanyahu’s strategic shift. Gallant had opposed an open conflict with Lebanon and previously advocated for a ceasefire agreement, having also called for withdrawal from the Philadelphi Route along the Egypt-Gaza border.
Each of Yoav Galant’s comments have been against the ambitions of Netanyahu, who has been in power in Israel for almost 18 years… Therefore, the plan to replace Galant has started very early. By replacing Galant, Netanyahu aims to secure the support of the far right that supports his government.
The recent killing of six Israeli citizens held hostage by Hamas has put pressure on Netanyahu for a hostage exchange. It must have been then that Netanyahu came to the idea of an open war with Lebanon. Part of the preparation for that is the removal of Yoav Galant and the attempt to install Sir Gideon, who openly opposes the hostage exchange negotiations. By replacing Galant, Netanyahu aims to secure the support of the extreme right wing that supports his government. The Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to recruit men from the ultra-conservative sect for compulsory military service was a big setback for Netanyahu. When Gallant tried to implement this, the far-right parties in the government protested. Netanyahu even threatened to withdraw support for the government. Therefore, Netanyahu also thinks that by replacing Gallant, he can keep the far-right parties together. Thus, Netanyahu’s maneuvers are like two sides of a sword
Between October 7 and September 6, it is estimated that at least 9,613 attacks were carried out between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon. Israel carried out 82 percent of these attacks. About 646 people were killed in Lebanon. At least 32 Israelis were killed in Hezbollah’s attack. Israel’s assassination of Fuad Shukar, the leader of Hizbullah, made matters worse. Even though the situation was like this, both sides were not ready to enter into an open war.
But many observers point out that Netanyahu’s boldness is the Israeli air force operation in Lebanon on August 25 as a pre-emptive strike. The United States, including the United States, has come out against the move to replace Yoav Gallant with someone like Gideon Sarin as the defense minister. But for Netanyahu, his survival is the only issue. Whoever has to be sacrificed for that, it will be implemented mercilessly.
But the question remains whether the Israeli army is ready for it. The confrontation with Hezbollah will not be like in Gaza. Today, Hezbollah is reported to have approximately 120,000 stand-off weapons in Syria and Lebanon. And backed by Iran, Hezbollah has proxy armed groups in Syria, Iraq and Iran. At the same time, it is estimated that the Israeli army does not have the military strength to carry out simultaneous attacks on the two borders. And if the Western powers, especially the United States, oppose it, things will get even tougher for Israel.
More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza so far in the Israeli attack. At a time when global protests continue, Netanyahu dares to enter another country.
