Israel 'prepared for an extremely powerful action in north' against Lebanon: Netanyahu

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday sent a tough warning to the Lebanese Hezbollah group, stressing that the Israeli army is prepared for "an extremely powerful action" against Lebanon.

Netanyahu made the statement during his visit to the northern settlement of Kiryat Shmona which witnessed attacks by the Hezbollah group 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.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Army Radio said the Israeli government approved call-up of 50,000 more reservist soldiers in preparation for possible escalation on the Lebanon front.

The radio also said the government allowed to increase the number of active reservist soldiers from 300,000 to 350,000 in preparation for a possible fighting in the north with Lebanon.

The Israeli army's Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said on Tuesday that Israel is close to making a decision regarding Hezbollah's daily attacks on northern Israel, stressing the army's preparedness for such a decision.

Tension has flared along the border between Lebanon and Israel amid intermittent exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, in the deadliest clashes since the two sides fought a full-scale war in 2006.

The border tension comes amid an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed over 36,500 people since a major attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar