Israeli minister Gantz says situation on Lebanon border ‘demands change’

Comments from the Israeli war cabinet member are the latest to hint at the possibility of an escalation with Hezbollah.

Senior Israeli minister Benny Gantz says the situation on the country’s border with Lebanon “must change”, hinting at the possibility of military escalation with the armed group Hezbollah.

Gantz, a member of Israel’s emergency war cabinet, told reporters on Wednesday the chance of a diplomatic solution to exchanges between Israel and armed groups in southern Lebanon is fast running out.

“The situation on Israel’s northern border demands change,” Gantz told a news conference.

“The stopwatch for a diplomatic solution is running out, if the world and the Lebanese government don’t act in order to prevent the firing on Israel’s northern residents, and to distance Hezbollah from the border, the [Israeli military] will do it.”