The Israeli military has said operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon are “approved and validated” as Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement carry out cross-border exchanges of fire.
“The Commanding Officer of the Northern Command, MG Ori Gordin, and the Head of the Operations Directorate, MG Oded Basiuk…held a joint situational assessment in the Northern Command.
“As part of the situational assessment, operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated,” it said in a statement.
Israel had warned Hezbollah it would be destroyed in the event of a “total war”, after a US envoy called for de-escalation on the Lebanese border as tensions flare.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz’s comments came after Hezbollah published a more than nine-minute video showing drone footage purportedly taken by the movement over northern Israel, including parts of the city and port of Haifa.
Israel and Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, have traded near-daily cross-border fire since the Palestinian militant group’s 7 October attack on Israel triggered war in Gaza.
“We are very close to the moment when we will decide to change the rules of the game against Hezbollah and Lebanon,” Mr Katz said, quoted in a statement from his office.
“In a total war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be hit hard.”
US envoy Amos Hochstein, on a visit to Lebanon, called for an “urgent” de-escalation of the cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israel.
“The conflict… between Israel and Hezbollah has gone on for long enough,” the presidential envoy said on a visit to Beirut.
“It’s in everyone’s interest to resolve it quickly and diplomatically — that is both achievable and it is urgent.”
Hezbollah stepped up attacks on northern Israel last week after an Israeli strike killed one of its senior commanders.
The Hezbollah video, which AFP was unable to immediately verify independently, pinpointed what the Lebanese movement said were Israeli military, defence and energy facilities, as well as civilian and military infrastructure.
Mr Hochstein met with Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally, a day after holding talks in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Speaker Berri and I had a very good discussion,” Mr Hochstein said.
