Israeli military approves 'offensive' plan in Lebanon

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The Israeli military said on Tuesday night that senior officers had approved an “operational plan for an attack on Lebanon”, as fears grew that Israel and Hezbollah could be heading for a full-scale conflict.

Lebanese militant groups and Israeli forces have exchanged fire almost daily since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in Gaza, but the exchange escalated last week, with Iran-backed Hezbollah firing dozens of rockets into Israel, killing one. Among the group commanders in an air strike.

Despite intense exchanges, which have displaced thousands of people and caused casualties in both Lebanon and Israel, the two sides have yet to be drawn into all-out war, with the United States leading a diplomatic push to de-escalate the situation. .

However, Israeli officials have repeatedly said they are prepared to take military action in the absence of a diplomatic resolution. The military said on Tuesday that in addition to approving the attack plan, officers had decided to “enhance the readiness of troops in the field”.

The announcement came hours after Hezbollah, the world's most heavily armed non-state actor, released a 9-minute video of what it said was footage collected by surveillance drones of parts of Israel, including the port in the northern city of Haifa. .

In addition to footage of the port, located about 30 kilometers from the Lebanese border, the footage included what Hezbollah said were not images of other military infrastructure.

The video drew a furious response from Israel, with Foreign Minister Israel Katz warning that his government was “very close to the moment of decision to change the rules against Hezbollah and Lebanon”.

“In an all-out war, Hezbollah would be destroyed and Lebanon would be severely damaged,” he said wrote On social media platform X.

“The State of Israel will pay a price upfront and on the home front, but with a strong and united nation and (the Israel Defense Forces) at full strength, we will restore security to the residents of the north.”

In 2006 Israel and Hezbollah engaged in a 34-day war. In an effort to keep tensions from escalating back into full-blown conflict, US Ambassador Amos Hochstein arrived in the region this week for meetings in Israel and Lebanon.

Speaking in Beirut on Tuesday, Hochstein told reporters that the two sides had reached “a critical time and a critical moment”.

“It is in everyone's interest to resolve this quickly and diplomatically. It is both achievable and urgent,” he said.

Hochstein's visit is the latest in a series of visits to the region in recent months in an effort to find a diplomatic solution to tensions. But the talks are stalled.

Israel is demanding that Hezbollah withdraw its forces from areas around the border with Lebanon. But Hezbollah insists it will not agree to any deal until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.