UPDATE - Israeli army shifts focus towards Lebanon

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Anadolu staff

The Israeli army on Friday proposed concluding its military offensive in the southern Gaza Strip at Rafah and redirecting its efforts towards a new offensive in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli Channel 12 reported that “the Israeli army’s Northern Command is focusing on targets that will reduce Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities.”

“However, the army recommends at this stage to shift attention to the north, that is, to end the operation in Rafah as quickly as possible in order to move to Lebanon,” the channel added.

It indicated that the Israeli army has recommended this position to the government.

The channel quoted an unnamed Israeli security official as saying that “more decisive action is needed in the northern arena to facilitate the return of residents to the northern towns," referring to the towns in northern Israel from which residents were evacuated at the beginning of the war last October.

“Security can be achieved through an agreement, and we cannot instill a sense of safety in the population without taking effective measures,” he added.

“A profound change is necessary on the northern border with Lebanon if we want the population to return to their homes," said the unnamed source.

According to the Israeli source, the attack by Hezbollah on northern Israel on Wednesday "is the largest attack since Oct. 8.”

Calls from Israeli politicians to wage a war on Lebanon are escalating.

According to Israeli Army Radio, the Israeli War Cabinet is scheduled to discuss developments on the Israeli and Lebanese borders on Sunday evening.

The killing of senior Hezbollah commander Taleb Sami Abdullah in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon has escalated the conflict.

In retaliation, Hezbollah launched 150 rockets into northern Israel on Thursday, following an earlier barrage of 215 rockets and drone attacks on Wednesday.

This marked the largest single-day rocket launch by Hezbollah since the confrontations began on Oct. 8, 2023.

Tensions have risen along Lebanon's border with Israel amid cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israeli forces as Tel Aviv presses ahead with its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 37,200 people since last October.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi