Invited Tuesday on RTS 7:30 p.m., Ifat Reshef, Israeli ambassador to Switzerland, affirms that Israel does not want a large-scale war, but specifically aims to cut off “the head of the serpent”, that is to say say the leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.
“The day and night were dramatic, but pressure should have been exerted on Iran and Hezbollah,” explains Ifat Reshef, Israeli ambassador to Switzerland. “Israel has been the victim of incessant attacks by Hezbollah since October 8, 2023, one day after the October 7, 2023 massacre perpetrated by Hamas,” she adds.
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According to her, for almost a year, attacks directed from southern Lebanon against Israel have been mandated and supported by Hamas and Iran. “This is the head of the snake that lies behind all these proxies, whether Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and the extremist militias in Iraq,” she underlines.
No regional war desired
Ifat Reshef adds that Israel’s war in the Middle East is a response to attacks from various fronts, orchestrated by Iranian agents. “We do not want a large-scale regional war, but we are focused on eliminating militants and terrorists who pose a direct threat,” adds the ambassador.
We have shown the greatest restraint in the face of Hezbollah attacks. But enough is enough!
The Israeli ambassador explains that for eleven and a half months, Hezbollah has been attacking Israel from Lebanese territory. She believes that the situation has become intolerable. “Enough is enough. It is time to dismantle these threats and allow tens of thousands of Israelis displaced from their communities in northern Israel to return home,” she explains on the show of Forum to justify the Israeli military operation in Lebanon.
>> Ifat Reshef’s interview in Forum:
The goal is to neutralize threats
The army specifies that it is targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon in a localized manner. According to Ifat Reshef, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) revealed that their operations in this region have uncovered massive military infrastructure hidden by Hezbollah in local villages and communities: “Villages and communities have been transformed into bases military by Hezbollah.”
These infrastructures aimed to support the operation to conquer the Galilee, often mentioned by Hassan Nasrallah, she says. The objective of the IDF is therefore to neutralize these threats and nothing else. “We also discovered plans indicating that an attack against us was planned, ten times worse than what we saw on October 7, 2023,” specifies Ifat Reshef.
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A feeling of injustice in the face of international reactions
She emphasizes that the Israeli army respects international law, despite the challenges posed by terrorist organizations in Gaza and Lebanon. She criticizes these groups, in particular because of their targeting of civilians and the use of human shields.
These organizations hide behind their own population and use them as human shields
It also highlights Israel’s efforts to warn civilian populations of areas to evacuate, unlike Hezbollah and Hamas who encourage their populations to stay, thus increasing the number of victims.
Furthermore, the ambassador expresses her frustration with public opinion. She finds the reactions of certain countries very unfair. She points out that this situation currently affects Israel, a democracy and member of the UN, and fears that tomorrow another democracy could be attacked by a terrorist organization.
Interview radio: Coraline Pauchard et Mehmet Gultas Interview TV: Philippe Revaz Adaptation web: Miroslav Mares
