Israel 'may have to re-enter Lebanon'
The Israeli army may have to enter Lebanon again to ensure Hizbollah remembers the lessons of the 2006 war, according to Ehud Barak.
Speaking during a tour of the northern border with the new military chief of staff Benny Gantz, the Israeli defence minister said: "Even though it's quiet and deterrence exists - Hizbollah remembers the heavy beating they suffered from us in 2006 - but it is not forever, and you may be called to enter again."
"We must be prepared for every test," Mr Barak told troops according to the Haaretz newspaper. "The secret is reacting fast in the event that something happens, and within seconds, translating everything you learned in your training."
The 34-day war in 2006 with the powerful Lebanese Shiite militia, killed 1,200 people in Lebanon, most of them civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
Mr Barak also addressed the upheavals in Tunisia and Egypt, insisting that the peace treaty with Cairo will remain in place.
Tthe entire region is changing before our eyes," he said. "We see what happened in Lebanon - the government changed to one that is less comfortable [for Israel] for many reasons, and it is more connected to Hezbollah. We saw what happened in Tunisia and now in Egypt."
