Major General Chip Chapman has exposed a “big worry” for Israel as its military limbers up for a ground offensive in Gaza.
The country is preparing to invade after Hamas’s acts of terror which saw over 150 hostages claimed and over 1,000 Israelis dead.
In a bid to flush out Hamas, Israel is set to ramp up its war efforts by sending troops into the enclave.
This strategy poses risks, according to Chapman, who says Israel could be left exposed to further threats.
Major General Chip Chapman has issued a warning
REUTERS / GB NEWS
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terror group in Lebanon, has been embroiled in a series of skirmishes with Israeli forces in the north since the conflict broke out.
While the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have committed to “destroying” Lebanon should the group opt to engage in the battle, Chapman told GB News that the country’s exposure could prove too much for Hezbollah to ignore.
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“The main thing we worry about is the conversion of military objectives into a political outcome”, he said.
“If Israel goes into the Gaza Strip, then there is a high probability, somewhere between 40-50 per cent chance that Hezbollah will get involved.
“I think it was significant yesterday that 28 of the Israeli villages on the Northern border were evacuated.
“A lot of the Israeli integrated defence system will be doing the hard yards against the hard yards protecting places like air bases and critical national infrastructure.
Over 1,200 people have died following Hamas' attacks on Israel over the weekendGETTY“That leaves other areas open to be hit, and that is a big worry.”
On Monday, the Israeli defence ministry told residents of 28 villages and kibbutzim close to the northern border to evacuate in an unprecedented demand.
The state is gearing up for a possible outbreak of hostilities with Hezbollah, a faction that many see as more powerful than Hamas.
The United States and the UK have expressed concern over the conflict possibly drawing in the “wider Middle East”, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelling across the region in a desperate bid to dissuade leaders from getting involved.
Rishi Sunak hosted King Abdullah of Jordan on Sunday for talks on how to quell the crisis.
The pair spoke about “diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation in the wider Middle East, working with regional leaders as well as the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority”, Downing Street said in a statement.
Benjamin Netanyahu remains steadfast in his commitment to “demolish” Hamas in revenge for its raid into the south of Israel last week.
The IDF continues to wait for instruction on when to carry out its ground operation in the Gaza Strip, saying it was waiting for a “political decision”.