The British newspaper The Times revealed on Monday that the Israeli occupation army has drawn up plans to invade southern Lebanon, which threatens a further escalation of the war in the region, amid calls from its Western allies for restraint.

The occupation army says that it wants to push Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon northward, towards the Litani River.

The newspaper quotes a senior Israeli official as saying that what happened in southern Israel is not compared to what they can do here (in the north), pointing out that the Israeli doctrine is to transfer the war to the other side.

This comes at a time when Israeli occupation army spokesman Jonathan Concres confirmed that it is not possible to return to the situation that prevailed before October 7, pointing out that the occupation army is ready and preparing, and that the army chief of staff approved the plans and set specific timetables for preparation.

The ongoing war on the Lebanese border with the occupied Palestinian territories has forced the displacement of thousands of settlers from settlements near the border, in something that the occupation army says Hezbollah actually considers a victory.

According to the newspaper, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the most nervous among the members of the war cabinet about starting a conflict on a new front, even as the army continues to face fierce resistance in Gaza, and global opposition due to the heavy loss of civilian lives. On the other hand, Israeli Security Minister Yoav Galant expresses the need to deter Hezbollah, and he demanded this month that Hezbollah withdraw its forces towards the north of the Litani, or that Israel will force it to do so.

During the previous days, talk emerged about a buffer zone in the southern Litani area, allowing settlers to return to the settlements that were evacuated as a result of the violent confrontations taking place since last October 8, in the wake of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation carried out by the “Al-Qassam Brigades” in the “Gaza envelope.” And the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

With the escalation of Israeli statements about the existence of discussions to reach a diplomatic solution regarding Lebanon and the ongoing war on the southern Lebanese border, a parliamentary source in Hezbollah confirmed to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that “there will be no agreement between the party and the Israeli occupation.”

A parliamentary source in Hezbollah told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that there will be no agreement between the party and the Israeli occupation, and the southern front in Lebanon is linked to the Gaza front, stressing that “the occupation and its American and Western supporters will not impose any plan linked to the south of the Litani, no matter how loud their threats are.” The enemy must stop its violations in Lebanon and withdraw from the occupied territories.”

In recent days, beliefs have increased among the ranks of the Israeli occupation army that there is no escape from a military operation in Lebanon "to get rid of the threat posed by Hezbollah." They believe that "the threat that has arisen in Lebanon since 2006 may be unbearable, but it will intensify further in the future."

Source: Al-Araby Al-Jadeed

Hizb allah

Gaza strip