At a time when attention is turning to the post-ceasefire arrangements on the Lebanese front, criticism has emerged from within the Israeli security establishment of the political leadership, amid warnings against making concessions in southern Lebanon or accepting what Israeli security sources described as “equations imposed by Iran.”
According to a report by journalist Almog Boker on Israeli Channel 12, Israeli security authorities drew what they called a “red line” in everything related to the settlements related to southern Lebanon, stressing that “full withdrawal is not on the table.”
These parties believed that Israel should have headed to negotiations at a much earlier stage, when military achievements were at their peak. According to its assessment, greater gains could have been achieved than what is currently possible, given what it considered to be Iran that was “managing the event” at this stage.
The report quoted a security source as saying: “Our hands cannot be tied. We must respond through attack.” He added: “We have learned that the best way to defend is to attack.”
The same source stressed that restricting military activity reflects negatively on operational capabilities, explaining: “If you are prohibited from attacking targets beyond the yellow line, then you are restricted. From our perspective, complete withdrawal is not on the table.”
Another security source also confirmed that Israel cannot coexist with the existing reality or accept threats that affect its security, warning against “accepting equations imposed by Iran in Lebanon.”
The source said: “It is forbidden to accept Iranian equations in Lebanon. Tomorrow morning the same thing will happen in Gaza, and after that in Judea and Samaria. It is not possible to coexist with that.”
These statements reflect the extent of the controversy taking place within Israel about how to manage the next phase of the ceasefire, especially with regard to the military presence and security arrangements on the Lebanese front, in light of the continuing Israeli fears of the growing influence of Iran and its allies in the region.
