Israel news is that the army approved an offensive against Lebanon after a spike in cross-border fire, as talk of “all-out war” stoked concerns over the Gaza conflict spiraling into the broader Middle East.
Israel and Hezbollah, which controls much of Lebanon, have been trading fire since October in parallel with the Jewish nation’s war campaign against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Both Hamas and Hezbollah benefit from Iranian patronage. Also, the Lebanese group claims solidarity with the plight of the Palestinian people.
Israel news is that the attacks are growing
Hostilities intensified after the IDF last week. It was reported that an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese village of Jouaiyya killed a senior Hezbollah commander. Sami Taleb Abdullah, along with three other group operatives. As recently as Wednesday morning, the Hezbollah-aligned al-Manar TV news outlet reported that the group launched a missile attack. Thus, targeting Israeli soldier positions in Metula in Israel, according to a Google translation. CNBC could not independently confirm the report.
The IDF announcement came after Hezbollah released a nine-minute video. It claimed to be aerial footage captured by surveillance drones. The Lebanese group said the area revealed in the clips stretches over 6.5 square kilometers (2.5 square miles) of Israel. Alleging that it includes the Haifa port and military base and the Rafael military complex. CNBC could not verify this footage and has reached out to the IDF over its authenticity.
The video ignited fear and fury in Israel, where Haifa mayor Yona Yahav likened it to “psychological terror on residents of Haifa and the north,” according to Reuters.
Lebanon coming under attack
Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a social media update that his country is now “very close to the moment of decision to change the rules against Hezbollah and Lebanon.
Katz acknowledged the likely toll on Israel. The country is fighting a tough battle in Gaza. Also, faces increasing international pressure to limit civilian Palestinian casualties.
“The State of Israel will pay a price on the front and home fronts. However, with a strong and united nation, and the full power of the IDF, we will restore security to the residents of the north,” the foreign minister said.
“I remind you that, according to the United Nations, there is no territorial dispute between Lebanon and Israel,” Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said during a Tuesday press briefing. “Whether diplomatically or militarily, one way or another. Still, we will ensure the safe and secure return of Israelis to their homes in northern Israel. That is not up for negotiation.”
Security concerns have driven thousands of Lebanese and Israeli civilians to flee their border-facing settlements.
‘A greater war’
The two neighboring states have been in a nominal U.N.-brokered cease-fire since a 34-day war in 2006. The U.S., views Israel’s ties with Lebanon as intertwined with the odds of a truce in the Gaza Strip. The US has been attempting to de-escalate the hostilities. U.S. senior envoy Amos Hochstein met with the Israeli and Lebanese leadership earlier this week.
He stressed the White House’s ambitions to avoid a spillover of the conflict into a broader war. ”
Lebanon has since sought to distance itself from the hostilities.
