Israel’s Defense Minister Declares ‘New Phase of the War,’ Praises Mossad’s Role

Israel’s Defense minister Yoav Galant made brief remarks to reporters Wednesday at an Israeli Air Force Base, praising Mossad for their “great achievements” but not taking explicit credit for the two-way radio and pager attacks on Hezbollah assets which have rocked Lebanon over the past two days.

Gallant said that Israel had changed its strategy to eliminate Hamas, and all of its allies involved in the massacre on October 7, saying:

The center of gravity has shifted northward. This means that we are diverting more forces, resources, and energy to the North.

The mission of this operation, which is being carried out across all bodies is to safely return residents to the communities in the north.

The first wave of attacks against Hezbollah in the Middle East began on Tuesday when thousands of pagers issued by Hezbollah exploded simultaneously. Second wave: walkie-talkies, and reportedly other electronic devices, were detonated on Wednesday. These attacks have created chaos and fear throughout Lebanon. This has led to Israeli forces securing areas in the north to protect its citizens. Residents in northern Israel have reported seeing Israeli military forces moving, including tanks, artillery, and other heavy weapons, towards the border with Lebanon.