Lebanon

JERUSALEM

Former Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz threatened Tuesday to plunge Lebanon into darkness and significantly destroy Hezbollah's military capabilities within days.

Israel has been increasingly concerned about potential power outages if cross-border clashes with Hezbollah escalate into a full-blown war.

“Are you talking about power outages in Israel?” Gantz, leader of the National Unity Party, asked during the Herzliya Conference 2024 as reported by Israeli Channel 7.

“We can bring Lebanon completely into the dark, and take apart Hezbollah's power in days,” he added.

Gantz, a leading candidate to form the next government, acknowledged that if an all-out war were to break out, the cost for Israel would also be high.

“We must prepare for scenarios involving infrastructure targeting and incidents resulting in many casualties. This is the cost of war that should be avoided, but if we must fight, we should not hesitate," Gantz said.

He emphasized that if such a war breaks out, Israel will not allow Hezbollah to remain a significant and direct threat to its towns.

More than 62,000 Israelis have been evacuated from settlements near the Lebanese border due to Hezbollah attacks, while 90,000 Lebanese have fled border areas, according to official figures from both sides.

“A major challenge for Israel is to return the southern and northern residents back to their homes, even at the price of escalation,” Gantz said.

On Thursday, Shaul Goldstein, CEO of Israel's state-owned electricity company Noga, warned that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah could easily cripple Israel's power grid.

Following Goldstein's warning, searches for generators among Israelis increased fivefold, and some purchased solar-charged power stations, according to Israeli Channel 12.

Tensions have soared along Lebanon's border with Israel amid cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israeli forces as Tel Aviv pressed ahead with its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 37,700 people since last Oct. 7.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio