JERUSALEM, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israeli forces are "prepared for any scenario" should fighting with Iran resume.
In a video statement, Netanyahu said U.S. allies are providing Israel "constant updates" on diplomatic contacts with Iran. He added that the goals of both countries remain identical, including the removal of enriched material, eliminating Iran's enrichment capabilities, and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
"In preparation for the possibility that the fighting will be resumed, we are prepared for any scenario," he said.
In Lebanon, Israeli forces continue to strike Hezbollah, Netanyahu said. "We are about to defeat Bint Jbeil," he added, referring to a town near the border where intensive Israeli strikes have occurred over the past several days.
He described the town as "Hezbollah's greatest stronghold."
He said the negotiations with the Lebanese government, opened on Tuesday in Washington, are being conducted amid the offensive in Lebanon, stressing that the talks have two goals: "First, the disarmament of Hezbollah, and second, a sustainable peace, peace through strength."
The remarks came as Netanyahu's Security Cabinet convened to discuss a possible new ceasefire in Lebanon.
A previous ceasefire in Lebanon, which had been in place since November 2024, was characterized by near-daily Israeli strikes in the country. The fragile truce collapsed on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in support of Iran, triggering intensified Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon.
The Public Health Emergency Operations Center of Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health said in a statement on Wednesday that the cumulative death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the country has risen to 2,167, with 7,061 others injured since March 2.
According to Lebanese official and media sources, at least 13 people were killed and 18 others injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon. ■
