JERUSALEM, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Israeli officials on Wednesday escalated threats against Lebanon's Hezbollah amidst escalating cross-border exchanges of fire between the two sides.
"We are completing the land and air preparedness, strengthening the intelligence systems, and preparing for any possibility," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the press before meeting with military chief Herzi Halevi and senior commanders in the Northern Command headquarters in the city of Safed.
"We have an obligation to change the situation in the north," he stressed.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Ynet news site reported that an anonymous "senior Israeli government official" told the news outlet that "if Hezbollah continues to attack Israel, southern Lebanon will look like Gaza. Beirut will not be immune."
The official warned that "the countdown to a powerful Israeli response has begun" and that only Hezbollah's agreement to an outline presented by U.S. President Joe Biden's envoy Amos Hochstein would prevent an all-out war.
Hochstein visited Jerusalem and Beirut this week for meetings with leaders on both sides in an effort to prevent further escalation.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it has approved "operational plans" for an offensive against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.
In response, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah pledged on Wednesday a fight "without limitations" if Israel starts a war with the militant group.
Speaking during a memorial ceremony for a Hezbollah commander killed last week by an Israeli strike, Nasrallah said his group is "not afraid" of the Israeli threats, claiming that Hezbollah's missiles and rockets can cause significant damage to the Israeli side.
Tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border escalated on Oct. 8, 2023, following a barrage of rockets launched by Hezbollah toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas' attack on Israel the day before. Israel then retaliated by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. ■
