Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), said Monday that the Israeli military must prepare for a “significant” escalation in the West Bank and the continuation of operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
“Alongside the enhanced defensive preparations in the Gaza Strip, we must be ready for significant operations in the West Bank in the coming days. This is to preempt and capture terrorists before they reach our citizens,” Halevi said, according to an IDF spokesman.
The spokesman added that Halevi “ordered the formulation of plans for the continuation of the fighting – also in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.”
The comments highlight the fragile nature of the ceasefire in Gaza, which began on Sunday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted he has a US guarantee that he can restart military operations after the first phase of the deal, although there are signs that the Trump administration wants to ensure a permanent truce is reached.
The new Trump administration is expected to be more supportive of the Israeli government’s plans to expand settlements and move toward annexation in the occupied West Bank. Some analysts have suggested that Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, could have offered support for an escalation in the West Bank in exchange for the Gaza ceasefire deal.
In Lebanon, Israeli troops are still occupying dozens of towns and villages in the south, and the Israeli military has continued demolitions and airstrikes despite the ceasefire deal. Under the agreement, the IDF is supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26, but it has only left two villages and still has 60 to go.
Hezbollah hasn’t responded to Israel’s constant ceasefire violations besides one incident when it fired two rockets at an open area. But Hezbollah is warning it will retaliate if the Israeli military remains past the January 26 deadline.
