Israel Announces Readiness to Attack Lebanon's Borders

The Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army announced the country's readiness to attack Lebanon's borders in response to the escalation of Hezbollah's attacks. Herzl Levy stated on Tuesday, June 5, that Israel is approaching a decision to attack the border areas of Lebanon. The Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has consistently targeted Israeli territory since the onset of the Gaza war last October, announced on Sunday that it is not interested in expanding the war but is prepared to confront any imposed war. The clashes between Hezbollah and Israel, which are occurring alongside the Gaza war, have intensified in recent days, raising concerns about a broader confrontation between the two sides. Since mid-October last year, reciprocal attacks have led to the flight of tens of thousands of residents from the border areas of Israel and Lebanon. Levy further emphasized, "We are ready to move towards an attack in the north after a very good training process up to the level of a general staff exercise. We are close to the decision point." The last major war between Israel and Hezbollah dates back to 2006. The Shiite group Hezbollah claims it attacks Israel in support of Palestinians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza. This group, backed by Iran, previously stated that it would cease attacks on Israeli territory if the Gaza war ended. Sheikh Naim Qassem, the Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah, told Al Jazeera that the group is not thinking of expanding the war but will fight if a war is imposed. He also stated that Hezbollah will not remain silent until the end of the Gaza war. Meanwhile, Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated that Washington does not support an all-out war with Hezbollah but recognizes Israel's right to defend itself against the group's attacks. He added that the U.S. has heard from Israeli leaders that the country prefers a diplomatic solution. The United States considers the Iran-backed Hezbollah a terrorist organization. An Israeli government spokesperson also stated that war is not a sustainable reality and that Israel is committed to ensuring the return of tens of thousands of its border residents with Lebanon to their homes. David Menser further stated that it depends on Hezbollah to decide whether this is done through diplomatic means or by force: "We defend the country, and no one should be surprised by our response." Hezbollah announced on Tuesday that it has launched a squadron of attack drones at an Israeli military base for the second consecutive day. The Israeli Foreign Ministry also shared scenes of widespread fires in northern Israel on the social media platform X, stating that Hezbollah's rocket attacks have led to extensive fires in northern Israel.