Israeli soldiers stand near a tank on June 11, 2025, facing the border with the Gaza Strip. (Credit: Jack Guez/AFP)
After declaring that Gaza was now its second front, surpassed in priority by its new war with Iran, Israel is redeploying its troops to border regions in preparation for potential raids by Iran-backed groups from Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, defense officials told Haaretz.
According to the report, published Sunday, the number of soldiers deployed in Gaza prior to Israel's Friday morning attack on Iran is expected to be reduced by half "in the coming days," as soldiers move to the country's northern and eastern borders.
The Israeli army has reportedly faced shortages in the number of reserve soldiers available to call up for duty, according to previous reporting from Haaretz, citing burn out and dissent, including several open letters signed by thousands of reservists demanding the government end the war.
Israeli officials said on Sunday that the army believes its damaging attack on Friday has led Iran to call on its proxies in the region for support. However, Hezbollah has explicitly stated it does not intend to get involved and, according to Haaretz, Israeli intelligence hasn't picked up on an activity indicating Hezbollah, whose military capabilities were significantly reduced in its war with Israel last year, is preparing to rejoin the war.
A Hezbollah official told Reuters on June 13 that the party "will not initiate its own attack on Israel in retaliation for Israel’s strikes." Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned that Israeli attacks would not go unanswered, but that the response would come "from the Islamic Republic of Iran" itself. The next day, Hezbollah MP Ali Fadlallah reiterated that Iran "knows how to defend itself."
Militias in Iraq, Syria and Yemen are a growing source of concern, officials told Haaretz. Initially laying low, Iraqi factions changed their tone on Sunday, suggesting that any direct involvement by Washington would change the equation and incite their own intervention.
In Syria, the new regime has cut off Iranian supply routes, and Jordan has been shooting down Iranian drones en route to Israel, but Israeli officials are still on guard, stating that their immediate goal is to thwart any attempt by fighters in neighboring countries to raid Israeli military infrastructure set up along the border. Israeli intelligence is reportedly closely monitoring all militias associated with Iran.
The only group that appears to be answering Iran's call to action are the Houthis, which have fired several missiles toward Israel since the Friday attack. On Sunday the group announced its explicit coordination with Iran in an attack on Israel.
On Sunday, the Israeli army claimed to have targeted the Houthi chief of staff, Mohammad al-Ghamari, whose death has not been confirmed nor denied by either side.