Netanyahu plans ‘broad’ raid on Lebanon: Report

Israel is “on the verge of a broad and strong operation on the northern front”, it quoted the official as saying.

“No date has yet been set but it is expected in the near future,” the report added.

Israel’s cabinet is expected to meet this week to discuss the situation.

The Kan public broadcaster reported that Netanyahu believes a full-scale war in Lebanon won’t diminish Israel’s military pressure on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant disagrees and has stated forces will need to be redeployed from the war-battered Palestinian territory.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s second-in-command warned a full-scale war launched by Israel aimed at returning 100,000 displaced people to their homes near Lebanon’s border would instead displace “hundreds of thousands” more.

In a speech in Beirut, Naim Qassem said: “We have no intention of going to war as we consider that this would not be useful. However, if Israel does unleash a war, we will face up to it – and there will be large losses on both sides.

“If they think such a war would allow the 100,000 displaced people to return home, … we issue this warning: Prepare to deal with hundreds of thousands more displaced,” he added.

The comments come after Gallant recently stated Israel is determined to restore “security” to its northern front and “we are preparing for anything that may happen”.

Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging deadly fire since early October last year, shortly after the regime launched the genocidal war against the besieged enclave following a surprise operation by Hamas.

The Lebanese group has vowed to keep up its retaliatory attacks as long as the Israeli regime continues its Gaza war, which has so far killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Hezbollah officials have repeatedly stressed they do not want a war with Israel while stressing that they are prepared in case it occurs.

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has stressed that Hezbollah is undaunted by the prospect of conflict with Israel. The secretary-general of the movement pledged formidable retaliation in case of a potential invasion of Lebanon by the Zionist regime.

Last month, the Lebanese group fired more than 320 Katyusha rockets at 11 Israeli military bases and barracks in the occupied territories in retaliation for senior commander Fuad Shukr’s assassination in Beirut.

Hezbollah said it targeted military bases to “facilitate the passage of drones” towards their desired targets deep inside the occupied territories.

“All offensive drones were launched at specific times from all of their sites”, and that they crossed the border into the occupied territories “towards their intended targets from multiple routes”, it added.

Following the attack, Nasrallah said Israel has crossed “all redlines” in aggression against Southern Beirut, adding that the group will decide on more retaliatory strikes against the Zionist regime in the future.

He warned that while the Lebanese group had no intention to use precision missiles in the attack, it may use them in the near future.

Two Israeli wars waged against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006 were met with strong resistance from Hezbollah, resulting in the retreat of the regime in both conflicts.