Israel’s government has declared the return of displaced Israelis to their homes in the north an objective of the war it has been waging against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon since last October. The new goal is a setback to US and European efforts to halt the near daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli military. The Iran-backed group began its attacks on October 8 in support of its ally Hamas, and has vowed to continue until Israel halts its war in Gaza. Efforts to mediate a ceasefire in Gaza have failed so far, with the US saying it planned to table another proposal shortly.
