IDF Warns Hezbollah as Israel Temporarily Halts Some Gaza Fighting for Aid Distribution

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel Defense Forces leaders are concerned that Hezbollah is dragging Israel into a major war in Lebanon, while the government pauses the Gaza fighting to allow for humanitarian aid.

Hezbollah seemed to reduce its attacks against northern Israel over the weekend as Muslims are marking the four-day holiday of Eid al-Adha. Israel fired back last week as the Iranian-backed group launched its worst attacks to date, prompting Israel to warn about the danger ahead.

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated, "Hezbollah's increasing aggression is bringing us to the brink of what could be a wider escalation, one that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the entire region."

Hezbollah has fired more than 5,000 projectiles at Israeli civilians, forcing the evacuation of nearly 100,000 Israelis since October 7th. Hagari asserts Iran is behind it all.

"Iran's terror proxies continue to drag the region to destruction. Israel will continue fighting against Iran's axis of evil on all fronts – in Gaza, in Lebanon, in other fronts."

Israel's military maintained a security zone in southern Lebanon for years but pulled out in May of 2000. A U.N. peacekeeping force was supposed to keep it demilitarized, but Hezbollah took over the area as many had predicted.

Avraham Levine of northern Israel's Alma Center told CBN News the terror group has fired relentlessly since the Hamas massacre in the south.

"Over 200 attacks every month, every month since October. And the numbers are growing. Thousands and thousands of missiles; rockets are being shot from Hezbollah, from Hamas, from other organizations, but all from south Lebanon," Levine noted.

Levine contends that for the past eight months, most of the world has been ignoring the attacks on northern Israel.

"We're talking about a country that's, supported, with good connections in Europe, with France, good connections with the United States that supports the Lebanese Army," he explained. "Yet there's no pressure on the country to stop, eliminate, or even slow down this attack on the northern front."

The Hezbollah missile and UAV assaults are causing huge fires in the summer heat and dryness.

Levine declared, "We're talking about thousands of acres, maybe up to 15,000 acres in the north, all across the western Galilee, northern Galilee, and the northern Golan Heights – all from Hezbollah – shooting towards the forests, exploiting the situation for their benefit."

In Gaza, 12 Israeli soldiers were killed in separate incidents within 24 hours over the weekend – eight of them when their armored personnel carrier was hit in an explosion.

The IDF says it will temporarily halt the fighting in parts of the southern Gaza Strip to help make sure humanitarian aid, including cigarettes, can get to Gaza's beleaguered citizens.

The Israel Police, whose unit led the rescue of four hostages on June 8, released the body-cam video of Israeli forces under heavy gunfire while rescuing the female hostage Noa Argamani, telling her, "We're taking you home."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed ministers that he has dissolved the War Cabinet following National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's request to join.

The War Cabinet was formed as part of the agreement with National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz when he joined the government but isn't needed after he resigned from the government last week.

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