NewsRescue
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is ready to launch a full-fledged war against the pro-Palestinian military group Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Lebanese radio LBCI said on Saturday.
Hezbollah has been launching rockets and mortar shells against Israeli positions since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. The barrages have sparked retaliation strikes by the Israeli army.
According to LBCI, an undisclosed Arab country gave Hezbollah with an intelligence information on Israel’s plans. According to the TV channel, the probable IDF campaign would be focused at pushing the militants to comply with UN Security Resolution 1701, which was adopted following the conclusion of the previous Israel-Lebanon war in 2006. The UN agreement permitted the establishment of a demilitarised zone on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
The situation worsened this month after an Israeli attack murdered Hamas deputy commander Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut.
Last Monday, Israeli Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi stated that the likelihood of a fight with Beirut was “much higher than in the past.” He also stated that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) were “increasing readiness” for cross-border strikes.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, however, stressed that other countries’ involvement in the Israel-Hamas conflict would be “unacceptable.” He also stated that a conflict with Lebanon would not be “a picnic” for Israel. Hezbollah MP Hassan Ezzedine further stated that the militants would “fight back twice as hard and deal a blow to the enemy.”
Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Middle East to try to avert a full-fledged war between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to the Washington Post, US officials are afraid that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may seek to strike Israel’s northern neighbour in response to rising criticism of his government’s inability to prevent the Hamas incursion on October 7, which killed over 1,200 people. According to the research, a two-front battle against Hamas and Hezbollah would be “difficult to succeed” for the IDF.