The Prime Minister’s Office announced on Monday night that the security cabinet has updated the goals of the war so that they include the following section: The safe return of the residents of the north to their homes.
"Israel will continue to act in practice to realize this goal," the statement added.
On Friday, Channel 12 News reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would bring for Cabinet approval the addition of the goal of "returning the residents of the north to their homes safely" to the goals of the war.
A defense official said that it is necessary to prepare for a long war in the north that will exact a heavy price.
According to Friday’s report, the Prime Minister held a limited security consultation on Thursday night with Ministers Ron Dermer and Bezalel Smotrich, as well as with Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, and decided during that meeting to bring this addition to the goals of the war for a vote in the Cabinet.
The report stated that the situation in the north requires attention, and the defense establishment has been asking the political echelon for quite some time to define the issue in terms of the goals of the war.
Netanyahu reportedly said during that special discussion, "We are heading towards a broad campaign of one intensity or another."
The heads of the defense establishment also claimed during Thursday’s discussion that a diplomatic settlement alone will not bring the residents of the north back home. Channel 13 News quoted a senior associate of Netanyahu as stressing that no date has been set for the military move, but it is a matter of anywhere from weeks to a few months.
At the same time, defense officials believe that the expansion of the war in the north will require a reduction of the military presence in Gaza.
Monday’s Cabinet decision followed Netanyahu’s meeting with US Presidential Special Envoy Amos Hochstein.
The Prime Minister made it very clear that it will not be possible to return Israel's residents to their homes without a fundamental change in the security situation in the north.
Netanyahu said that while Israel appreciates and respects the support of the US, it will – ultimately – do what is necessary to safeguard its security and return the residents of the north securely to their homes.