Maariv newspaper reported, citing a military source, that the Israeli army has plans ready to move against Lebanon, including launching a large-scale pre-emptive attack on Hezbollah, in light of the increasing tension in the region and the possibilities of expanding the scope of the conflict.
In a related context, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported, citing a security source, that there is a state of high alert on the northern border for fear of an escalation with Hezbollah, and indicated that the Israeli security establishment is currently making secret preparations in anticipation of any developments on the ground.
This information comes at a time when Israeli reports talk about increasing coordination between the United States and Israel regarding Iran, as Israeli officials confirmed that Washington will not take any military action against Tehran without informing Israel in advance.
The Israeli army also announced that it is in a state of complete readiness, and in this regard, army spokesman Evi Dufrin stated that the American-Iranian negotiations are still ongoing, but the army is prepared with the highest levels of defense, stressing that any attack will be met with a strong response.
This development comes in light of the Israeli army raising its level of readiness about a month ago to unprecedented levels, according to what military journalist Avi Ashkenazi revealed in Maariv, due to fears of a possible escalation with Iran and its impact on the northern front.
Israeli estimates indicate that any upcoming confrontation may be different from previous wars, with the possibility of targeting vital installations and populated areas, which prompted the Home Front Command to enhance preparations and conduct training exercises simulating scenarios of widespread destruction.
This is accompanied by increasing Israeli concern about Hezbollah’s role in any comprehensive regional confrontation, in light of the continuing tension on the Lebanese-Israeli border, the complexity of political and military calculations between Tel Aviv and Tehran, and the consequent expansion of the scope of clashes to more than one front.
