Tanks of the Israeli army will be able, if necessary, to reach the Litani River in Lebanon, the head of the Ministry of Defense of the Jewish State, Yoav Galant, said at a meeting with military personnel near the border with the Gaza Strip.
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“The tank that is standing here, which you are following, after leaving the battlefield, will be able to reach the Litani River. We are ready to carry out this step in Lebanon, if necessary. <…> We are delivering very strong blows to Hezbollah “every day and reach a state of full readiness to take any action that is required in Lebanon,” he said.
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This statement came after reports emerged that the Israeli Air Force had killed senior Hezbollah commander Abu Ali Nasser in Lebanon.
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Gallant also noted that Hamas is in dire straits and exhausted, and added that Tel Aviv will achieve all its stated goals in the Palestinian enclave.
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As previously reported, a large-scale clash between Israel and Hezbollah could take place within the next few weeks if the Jewish state and Hamas do not reach a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip.
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In addition, the IDF on June 18 announced the approval of combat plans for an offensive in Lebanon.
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After this, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz threatened serious damage to this country and the destruction of Hezbollah in the event of a full-scale war. He also stressed that Tel Aviv is close to making a decision that will change the rules on the northern front.
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Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrullah, in turn, said that the movement could invade northern Israel with further escalation.
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The situation on the border between the two states worsened after Tel Aviv began military operations in Gaza in October 2023. The IDF and Hezbollah fighters fire at each other’s positions daily in areas along the border.
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According to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, about 100 thousand people were forced to leave their homes in the south of the country due to shelling from Israel. Tel Aviv reported about 80 thousand residents of the north of the Jewish state who found themselves in a similar situation.
