JERUSALEM: A member of Israel’s War Cabinet confirmed that early in the war against Hamas in Gaza, an Israeli preemptive attack against Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia was called off at the last minute.
Gadi Eisenkot, an ex-army chief, said he was among those arguing against such an attack in what he described as a stormy October 11 Cabinet meeting that left him hoarse from shouting.
Such a preemptive strike would have been a “strategic mistake” and would possibly have triggered a regional war, Eisenkot said in a wide-ranging interview broadcast on an Israeli broadcaster.
The talk marked the first time Eisenkot spoke in public about disagreements among Israeli leaders over the handling of the fighting, which was triggered by Hamas’ deadly October 7 attack on Israel.
A month ago, The Wall Street Journal, reporting on the dramatic events of October 11, said intervention by President Joe Biden was important to averting the attack. Israeli war jets were in the air, awaiting orders, when Joe Biden phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and told him to stand down, the report said.
Eisenkot said strong objections raised by him and others during the Cabinet meeting were important to calling off the attack. At the time, he and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, both opposition lagislators, had just joined Netanyahu to assist lead the war. Asked if their presence prevented a bad decision, he said: “Unequivocally.”
During the October 11 meeting, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and top army officials were reportedly pressing for an attack against Hezbollah, considered by Israel to be a much more formidable enemy than Hamas. Hezbollah is believed to have tens of thousands of rockets that can hit any target in Israel.
Hezbollah’s power
Since the eruption of the Gaza war, Israel and Hezbollah have traded cross-border attacks with gradually escalating intensity, even though neither side is believed to seek an all-out war which is bound to devastate both nations.
