Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that the Israeli army is prepared for “an extremely powerful action” against the Lebanese Resistance movement Hezbollah.
The statement was made during Netanyahu’s visit to the northern settlement of Kiryat Shmona, which witnessed attacks by Hezbollah in recent days.
“We are prepared for an extremely powerful action in the north” against Lebanon, Netanyahu wrote on his X account along with a video message taken during his tour in the north near the borders with Lebanon.
Netanyahu also met with the Israeli army’s Brigade 769 command to discuss the operational situation along the Lebanese-Israeli border areas.
‘Major Battlefield’
Meanwhile, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) reported that the Israeli army is awaiting government approval to escalate the confrontation with Hezbollah into a “major battlefield”, also including a ground operation, while relegating the Gaza Strip to a “secondary battleground.”
אנחנו ערוכים לפעולה מאוד חזקה בצפון. pic.twitter.com/Ywi4O1rLiv
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 5, 2024
The Israeli Army Radio announced that the government authorized the call-up of an additional 50,000 reserve soldiers in preparation for potential escalation on the Lebanese front.
Additionally, Israeli Channel 14 indicated that the prevailing belief in Israel is that a war with Hezbollah could erupt in the coming weeks.
Northern Israel Ablaze
Israeli firefighting teams continued on Tuesday to battle massive fires, sparked by rockets fired from southern Lebanon.
The fires engulfed several settlements and military sites in Upper Galilee and occupied Golan Heights, forcing evacuation.
The Israeli army reported that its forces were able to control the hotspots of fire, but the situation remained precarious, with fires still burning in the vicinity of several settlements, including Kiryat Shmona, where flames had reached some neighborhoods.
Northern Israel Ablaze – Rockets Fired from Lebanon Spark Massive Fires
The spread of fires required the intervention of a large number of fire brigades and army and police forces, with many residents evacuated from Kiryat Shmona and other settlements. The Israeli army confirmed that six reserve soldiers were injured due to smoke inhalation.
According to Al-Jazeera, the Sefad Hospital, however, confirmed it received at least 16 people injured in the Kiryat Shmona fires, including seven soldiers.
Hezbollah’s Response
Naim Qassem, Deputy Secretary-General of the group, told Al-Jazeera on Tuesday that if Israel wants an all-out war, the Lebanese Resistance movement Hezbollah is ready for it.
“Our decision is not to expand the war, but we will fight it if it is imposed on us,” Qassem said.
“Any Israeli expansion of the war on Lebanon will be met with devastation, destruction, and displacement in Israel,” the top Hezbollah official vowed.
‘Ready for All-Out War’ – Hezbollah Responds to Israel’s Threats
Qassem denied reports of the elite ‘Radwan Forces’ withdrawing from the border with Israel, stressing that Hezbollah has used “a small portion of its capabilities, in proportion to the nature of the battle.”
On Wednesday, Hezbollah announced it attacked a group of Israeli soldiers near the Birkat Risha site and bombarded soldiers at the Al-Malikiyah site with artillery.
Hezbollah also used drones to attack the Maale Golani barracks and targeted soldiers in the Natawa Horsh, Baram Horsh, and the vicinity of the Tahihat Triangle.
Israeli Army Radio reported that sirens sounded in Kiryat Shmona and Metulla, fearing enemy aircraft infiltration.
(PC, AJA)
