Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz speaks during an election campaign rally in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, Israel, February 25, 2020. REUTERS/Corinna Kern

JNS.org – Israel will not allow Hezbollah to obtain weapons that will harm Israeli military superiority or allow such weapons to reach other Iranian proxies in the arena, vowed Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz during a speech in northern Israel on Tuesday.

Speaking during the unveiling of a new factory belonging to the Rafael defense company in Shlomi, Gantz said that “15 years ago, this place burned because of Hezbollah’s rockets and was threatened by the Iranian entrenchment in Syria. The strengthening and fortification of this location through another factory and another growth engine is a clear message to our enemies that our determination is unshakable.”

He added that “from the operational perspective, we are working in a broad manner against attempts [by our adversaries] to build up their force and to breach the balance in the arena.”

In order to remain alert and prepared, Israel began a new project last week to fortify structures in northern Israel—to the tune of billions of shekels—and held a national Home Front Command war drill.