Israeli army approves plan to attack Lebanon
The Israeli military confirmed on June 18 that operational plans for an attack in Lebanon had been “approved and authenticated”, as Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement engaged in cross-border gunfire.
In a statement, the Israeli military said its senior military officials "held an overall situation assessment at the Northern Command. As part of the situation assessment, operational plans for an attack in Lebanon were approved and validated."
"Decisions have been made to continue enhancing the combat readiness of the army on the battlefield."
Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, and Israel have traded gunfire almost daily since the Gaza war was sparked by an October 7 attack by the Palestinian militant group on southern Israel.
The approval comes as Foreign Minister Israel Katz had previously warned Hezbollah that it would be destroyed in the event of an “all-out war” between the two sides. “We are very close to the moment when we will decide to change the rules of the game for Hezbollah and Lebanon,” Katz said. “In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be severely hit.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this month that the military was ready for a forceful operation in Lebanon if needed, while pledging to restore security to the country's northern border.
US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Lebanon on June 18, a day after meeting with Israeli leaders, seeking to de-escalate the "urgent" situation on the Israel-Lebanon border./.
