Israel’s military said it has “approved and validated” operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon as months of fighting with Hezbollah threaten to spiral into a full-blown war.
The military statement did not promise an imminent Israeli offensive in Lebanon — any plans must still be vetted by Israel’s leaders. But it appeared to indicate that after months of tit-for-tat fighting, the army wants to show it's prepared for tougher action. The military did not specify what the plans entailed.
It came as the US tries to broker a diplomatic solution to the cross-border conflict and avert a major escalation. Amos Hochstein, a senior advisor to US President Joe Biden, was meeting with officials in Beirut Tuesday in an attempt to quell tensions.
Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah have exchanged fire across the border almost daily since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October.
Last week, the group launched hundreds of drones and rockets at Israel after Israel killed a senior commander. Israel retaliated with heavy strikes on Hezbollah targets. Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 people in Lebanon, including 70 civilians. On Israel’s side, 16 soldiers and 10 civilians have been killed.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned on Tuesday that a decision on an all-out war with Hezbollah was coming soon.
Katz said in an X post that in the wake of threats by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to damage Haifa's ports that are operated by Chinese and Indian companies, "we are getting very close to the moment of deciding on changing the rules of the game against Hezbollah and Lebanon.”
"In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be severely beaten," he added.
