
Gallant in the north: 'We will hit Hezbollah until Israelis can return home safely'
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited Tzfat today and pledged to help the city once again achieve peace and security.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant arrived this morning (Friday) for a tour of the city of Tzfat, accompanied by Defense Ministry Director General Eyal Zamir, after the city had become a major target of recent Hezbollah attacks.
The visit began at the point of impact in the northern neighborhood of the city, where Minister Gallant received a briefing from Mayor Yossi Kakon on the attack's damage. A subsequent assessment meeting was held in the municipal command center together with IDF, police, and MDA personnel.
During the meeting, the Minister of Defense received a detailed briefing on the city's preparedness for emergencies for the past year, with emphasis on the stepped-up preparations in recent months.
Gallant referred to the importance of adhering to the Home Front Command directives and said that "adherence to the directives saves lives. We saw this clearly in the strike on the northern neighborhood of the city when those who acted in accordance with the directives in the shelters managed to avoid injury."
Gallant and his staff pledged to assist immediately in reducing the gaps in the city's protection and in the field of preparedness and noted that the city of Tzfat would receive additional emergency equipment for the city's security teams and volunteers.
Kakon thanked the visit and emphasized the importance of security to Tzfat and its residents in his remarks: "The security of the citizens of Israel is at stake. We have the security of the capital of the Galilee – Tzfat. A city that was hit by hundreds of rockets in two and a half days, but Tzfat is strong, its residents are strong and steadfast. We ask for one thing – security. Tzfat does not want to live under a trickle of attacks like in the Gaza region. We do not want to be Sderot. The residents of Tzfat are entitled to real quiet and a return to a safe routine."
At the conclusion of the meeting, Gallant praised the residents of Tzfat for their steadfastness and noted: "The residents of Tzfat are strong and steadfast. The security forces stand behind you and beside you to ensure your safety. We are hitting Hezbollah very hard over the course of the year and especially in the last few weeks."
"We will continue and intensify this effort to ensure security for all the communities of the north. We are committed to returning those who have left to their homes in security and to granting the residents of Tzfat the security they deserve."