Israel is ready for an “all-out war” in Lebanon and has approved plans for an offensive against Hezbollah, according to Arab media.
The statements from Israel’s foreign minister and military late Tuesday night followed Hezbollah’s release of threatening drone footage. Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz criticised Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah for bragging about filming Haifa ports run by foreign companies from China and India.
We are very close to the moment of decision to change the rules against Hezbollah and Lebanon. In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be severely hit.
Later, the Israeli military stated that Ori Gordin, head of its Northern Command, had approved plans for a ground offensive across Israel’s northern border.
As part of the situational assessment, operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field.
Clashes between Israel and Hezbollah on the border began after the Hamas attack on 7 October last year. The confrontation is widening, with both sides voicing readiness to launch a war. On Tuesday, Israel revealed it had struck military infrastructure in several areas in southern Lebanon.
Situation heating up
Previously, Nasrallah claimed Hezbollah would only stop its attacks if Israel halted a retaliatory offensive in Gaza that has killed over 37,000 Palestinians. Meanwhile, Hezbollah recently stated that it had carried out more than 2,100 military operations against Israel since 8 October in an attempt to support the Palestinians.
More than 400 people have been killed in Lebanon over the past eight months, and 25 killed in Israel. At least 90,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Lebanon, whereas over 60,000 have been displaced in northern Israel.
The US was making diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation, White House envoy Amos Hochstein stated on Tuesday during a trip to Lebanon.
We have seen an escalation over the last few weeks. And what President Biden wants to do is avoid a further escalation to a greater war.
According to Israeli media reports, Hezbollah responded to Hochstein’s visit with a threat.
If we detect preparations for an Israeli attack, we will consider launching a pre-emptive strike.
