Netanyahu vows to change the situation in the north: Hezbollah is Iran's strongest arm in the region

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Hezbollah is Iran's strongest arm in the region during his weekly cabinet meeting. 

He revealed that he had ordered the Israeli military and security forces to prepare for a shift in the current situation in northern Israel, indicating potential escalation.

"We are working to ensure that Hamas does not regain control of Gaza," Netanyahu stated, emphasizing significant progress in weakening the group's military capabilities, according to the Israeli Maariv newspaper.

He added that discussions are ongoing about the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza, suggesting that once Hamas loses control over aid distribution, it will lose its grip on power.

Netanyahu reiterated his claim that Hezbollah in Lebanon represents the most formidable extension of Iranian influence in the region. He stressed the need for Israel to change the status quo, particularly in the north, where tensions with Hezbollah have escalated. 

"We are committed to ensuring the safety of all northern residents and returning them to their homes," he added.

In a previous statement released by his office, Netanyahu remarked that Israel is surrounded by what he called a "murderous ideology led by the Iranian axis of evil." 

Referring to the recent attack at the Allenby Bridge, in which a Jordanian truck driver killed three Israeli citizens, Netanyahu described it as a "difficult day" and accused the attacker of "cold-blooded murder."

In his address, Netanyahu also warned of internal divisions within Israel, accusing Hamas of using psychological warfare to sow discord among Israeli citizens, particularly families of hostages. 

"Their goal is to divide us, to create internal and external political pressure, and to continue the war indefinitely," he said, pledging that Israel would not be defeated.