Defense Minister Yoav Galant decided today (Tuesday) at the end of a meeting to assess the situation on the civilian home front, to establish the Northern Horizon Administration in the Ministry of Defense.
Galant announced the establishment of an administration to strengthen the security of northern communities // Photo: Elad Malka
The Secretariat will act to strengthen the civilian infrastructure in the local authorities, improve the security components in the northern communities, including increasing and arming the alert squads, rehabilitating the infrastructure damaged during the fighting, and fully implementing the government's decision to complete the "Northern Shield" project, to fortify communities up to 9 kilometers from the Lebanese border. Minister Galant accepted the recommendation of Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, and the two will decide in the coming days on the appointment of the head of the Secretariat, and the principles of operation of its work.
The Secretariat will work in cooperation with the local government and the IDF, and its decisions will be made in accordance with the assessment of the situation, alongside increasing the forces that will operate in the northern region. Galant will recommend to the Cabinet that the powers of the Takuma Administration be expanded to deal with all civilian matters in the northern communities as well. In addition, he stressed the importance of holding local elections on January 30, 1, as a message that strengthens national stability and continuity. The minister's position is based on the opinion of the IDF, and in accordance with the position of the local government.
"The Secretariat will strengthen the security response, improve the civilian infrastructure and security components." Galant, Photo: Ariel Hermony, Ministry of Defense
"In light of the complexity in the north, and our desire to create conditions to return the residents to their homes, the first action that needs to be taken is to take care of everything that happens in the communities, to protect them, to operate within the communities, to normal life, to protect the roads, to rehabilitate the infrastructure," Galant said. "In order to provide a correct response in the north, we will establish within the Ministry of Defense the Northern Horizon Administration. The Secretariat will strengthen the security response, improve the civilian infrastructure and security components: reinforcement and equipment of the alert squads, additional security components in the communities (gates, fences, lighting, roads, vehicles, defense positions, observations, strengthening of the authorities, a primary operation center with command capabilities, etc.)."
At the end of his remarks, he promised that "subject to an operational assessment of the situation, and as part of a comprehensive defense plan being built for the northern region, we will deal with the protection gaps and act to implement the government's decision from 2018 as part of the Northern Shield plan."
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us