The United States is examining a possible arrangement and an agreement between Israel and Lebanon regarding the land border between them, similar to the maritime border agreement that the two nations signed under the previous Israeli government, Ynet reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, Amos Hochstein, President Biden's advisor who mediated the maritime deal, is looking into the possibility of creating a similar mechanism to achieve calm on the Lebanese border.
Senior Israeli officials clarified that in order for an arrangement to be achieved, it would need to include the permanent distancing of Hezbollah from the border through significant diplomatic efforts.
Earlier in the day, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with municipal leaders from northern Israel.
During the meeting, Gallant stated that the northern residents' security would be increased by shifting Hezbollah to the northern side of the Litani River.
According to him, the preferred move would be a diplomatic process that would make the change, but if there would be no choice, it could be done through military means.
"When we complete the combat in Gaza, we will be in a different reality where the military effort will be mostly concentrated on the north since we know the proportion between Hezbollah and Hamas," Gallant stated.
According to him, "We will bring the residents of the north back to their homes only when the conditions to do so are created, and we will be sure that we can provide them with security that is built on a different scope of forces. Where there was once a battalion, there will be a brigade; the protection will be different, there will be different security elements, and there will be a general defense perception with a different battle order and a different presence.
Hezbollah has over 100 killed and severe harm to their lookout points, headquarters, and arms warehouses, we will establish this so it is something that is understood in the area, so it is clear that on the line of contact, there are no threats, not with anti-tank fire, not with presence on the border, and certainly not with forces that can invade the territory of the State of Israel," he added.
"As long as we succeed in Gaza, things will be clearer here. Every person in Lebanon can take a map, the aerial photos of Gaza, put it on an aerial photo of Beirut, and ask themselves if that's what they want to happen there. The clearer our achievements will be, the clearer this will be as well. There is one option that we will reach a different agreement that can be similar to agreement 1701, with international mediation. They will respect our presence, our existence, and our security, and we will respect the other side," the Defense Minister emphasized.
He noted that "the second option is that we will have to do the same thing by force. We don't want war, but if we reach a situation where we need to establish security here, we won't hold back, just as we didn't hold back in the South."
