Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visits the Nevatim Air Force base in southern Israel, Oct. 6, 2024. (Photo: Elad Malka/Defense Ministry)
Hezbollah is estimated to have lost over 80% of its long-range rockets since the start of the war, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reported, amid a sudden push for a ceasefire in Lebanon that includes two of U.S. President Joe Biden’s top envoys rushing to Israel on Thursday.
Gallant told IDF officers that Israel estimates Hezbollah’s long-range arsenal had been degraded to around 20% of its pre-war status, during a visit to the army’s Northern Command on Tuesday.
“The achievements of the IDF in Lebanon are extremely impressive. We have eliminated the chain of command and control of Hezbollah, and I estimate the missile and rocket capability they have left is at 20%.”
According to military sources cited by The Jerusalem Post, Gallant was referring to Hezbollah’s stock of longer-range projectiles, which was estimated at around 50,000 before the war. In addition, the Lebanese terrorist organization was believed to have 100,000 shorter-range munitions, about half of which the IDF believes it has destroyed so far.
Gallant’s public comments followed reports from IDF leadership indicating that the army considers the primary goals of the southern Lebanon campaign as mostly achieved and is now awaiting further instructions from the political leadership on how to proceed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the issue with several politicians, intelligence chiefs and generals in a high-level meeting on Tuesday evening, according to Channel 12 News.
A team led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Netanyahu, has reportedly developed a roadmap to end the war in the north and recommended that Israel adopt it, in a bid to exploit Hezbollah’s current weakness to force it to accept terms.
Following reports on Tuesday that negotiations between Israel and Lebanese representatives were in its “advanced stages,” Axios reported that U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein, who has been leading the negotiations between Hezbollah and Israel, along with Brett McGurk, U.S. President Joe Biden’s top Middle East envoy, would arrive in Israel on Thursday to try and finalize a ceasefire deal.
This latest report underlines the sudden advance in the talks, as Kan News reported that just last week, Hochstein declined a request to continue his travels to Israel after his last Beirut visit, arguing that there was “no point” in coming as the talks appeared to be stuck at the time.
According to Israeli officials, Hochstein is expected to present a formal ceasefire proposal that he prepared after listening to the latest positions from Israeli and Hezbollah leaders.
U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios they believe a deal could be reached within several weeks, as the intense series of Israeli strikes against Hezbollah in recent months, culminating in the assassination of its leader, has finally brought the group to the negotiating table, dropping its demand to link a ceasefire with the conclusion of the war in Gaza.
