Israeli PM says former rival Saar joined security cabinet

JERUSALEM -- Israeli opposition lawmaker Gideon Saar has joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, the two politicians announced on Sunday.

In a video statement, Netanyahu said that under the terms of their agreement, Saar would be appointed to his security cabinet, which is responsible for key policy decisions in Israel's ongoing war.

According to state-owned Kan TV, Saar, a prominent far-right politician and former rival of Netanyahu, had been in talks over a deal that would have seen him replace Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, another political rival of the prime minister. However, the effort faltered last week as Israel intensified its offensive against Hezbollah.

Saar's entry was widely viewed by local media as an attempt to solidify Netanyahu's coalition government and strengthen his grip on power.

Since Monday, Israel has conducted its most extensive attacks on Lebanon since 2006, launching airstrikes on Friday evening against Hezbollah's main headquarters in Dahieh, the southern suburbs of Beirut, during which the armed group's top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and several other commanders were killed.

The heavy assaults mark the latest escalation of the ongoing clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, which began on Oct 8, 2023, when Hezbollah started launching rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, prompting Israel's retaliatory artillery fire and airstrikes in southeastern Lebanon.