Israeli officials said on Friday that Tel Aviv believes that if an agreement is not reached to remove Hezbollah forces from the Lebanese border, a “limited war” may break out between the two sides.

Officials in the Israeli government told the (official) broadcasting organization, which they did not name, that we are “on the verge of exhausting” attempts to reach an agreement, because “Hezbollah” does not express to the mediators its desire to reach such an agreement.

The officials added, “If an agreement is not reached to remove Hezbollah from the Lebanese border, a limited war may break out between the two parties.”

They pointed out that “if this war breaks out with Hezbollah, this may lead to a comprehensive escalation in the entire region.”

Last December, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant vowed to remove Hezbollah beyond the Litani River in southern Lebanon, whether through an international political arrangement or military action.

Otherwise, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on December 17 that “nothing will prevent the outbreak of war with Lebanon except the implementation of International Resolution 1701 to remove Hezbollah fighters to the north of the Litani River.”

On August 11, 2006, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1701, which called for a complete cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel, after a 33-day war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.

The resolution calls for the creation of an area between the Blue Line (separating Lebanon and Israel) and the Litani River in southern Lebanon, free of any militants, military equipment and weapons, except those belonging to the Lebanese Army and the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL).

“In solidarity with the Gaza Strip,” Hezbollah and Palestinian factions in Lebanon have exchanged intermittent daily bombardment with the Israeli army since October 8, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries on both sides of the border.

Since last October 7, the Israeli army has been waging a devastating war on Gaza, which as of Friday left “22,600 killed and 57,910 injured, most of them children and women, massive infrastructure destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe,” according to the Gaza Strip authorities and the United Nations.