JNS
"The time for action in the north has come and we are late on this," the National Unity Party chairman said at a D.C. conference.
Israel's National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz said in Washington on Sunday that Israel must be prepared to take military action in its northern region if a hostage deal with Hamas is not reached soon.
Speaking at the Middle East-America Dialogue Summit (MEAD) on Sunday night, Gantz highlighted the urgency of the situation and the potential for escalation in the ongoing regional conflict.
He shared his views during an interview with Dan Senor, author and host of the "Call Me Back" podcast, discussing the role of diplomacy in the Middle East.
"The time for action in the north has come, and we are late on this—and we should seek to have a deal to get our hostages out, but if we cannot get it in the coming time, I would say—I won't limit it to days or few weeks or whatever it is—we should go up north and take care, and make sure we can get our people back to their homes. I don't think we should delay it anymore," he said.
"This war has shown that we need to increase military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Iran, and that we cannot accept an agreement that only addresses nuclear issues," he said, adding that an agreement would also need to include "restrictions on [Tehran] funding and operating proxies."
Gantz said that Israel's large-scale evacuation of its northern population had been a mistake for which he bore some blame.
"We should have only evacuated the communities and kibbutzim right next to the border. I am also responsible for this decision, which stemmed from the insecurity we experienced at the beginning of the war," he said.
On the Gaza war, Gantz said, "Real victory means returning the hostages to their families and residents to their homes. This is the foundation of victory. It will take another decade of operational activity in Gaza to prevent Hamas from rebuilding its power. We will operate in Gaza as we do in Judea and Samaria. I advocated for earlier action in Rafah and conveyed this to the Americans during my March visit."
Gantz identified Iran as the root of the region's problems.
"While Hezbollah poses an operational threat, we must remember that Iran is the core issue. Look at the situations in Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon," he said. "Achieving real victory isn't just about resolving the Hamas issue and recovering hostages; it's about forming a regional alliance against the Iranian axis that has established terror cells around us," he continued.
"Iran is involved in almost every conflict, from supplying UAVs to Russia for use in Ukraine to supporting terrorism in Sudan and Algeria. The prospect of Iran with nuclear capabilities is concerning," said Gantz. "We must maintain pressure on Iran—not just militarily, but economically and politically, with great intensity. This is a global responsibility. Any future nuclear deal must address enrichment and launch capabilities and impose severe restrictions on funding and operating proxies. Iran presents a global and regional challenge, not just an Israeli concern," he added.
On regional diplomacy, Gantz said, "I hope we can develop regional partnerships, partly through events like MEAD. Expanding our relationship with Saudi Arabia, a key Arab nation, could yield mutual benefits in security, economy, science and other areas."
