Former Israeli intelligence and security official Yuval Malka told Hebrew media that Washington has given the green light for a wider war on Lebanon.

"According to the information I received from the delegation and what I know, Netanyahu has received full legitimacy in the United States to wage war in Lebanon," Malka told Israel's Channel 14.

"When he arrives in the country, he is expected to head to the 'land' in 'Akria', and from there he will start the war in Lebanon," he added, referring to the military complex that houses the headquarters of the various Israeli army corps.

Netanyahu visited Washington this week to address Congress and hold talks with officials, where he received the green light and the weapons and equipment he needed to start a war on Lebanon.

A defense analyst told Hebrew media that the Israeli army had indicated to the government that the time had come for a broad war against Lebanon.

“The IDF is preparing for a major ground maneuver in Lebanon and is warning: Any delay will play into Hezbollah’s hands when there is progress in the negotiations for the release of the hostages in the background,” Amir Bohbat, a senior military editor and defense analyst for the Israeli Walla news site, said on July 24. “The IDF is sending a signal to the government – we are at the peak of preparations for war in the north, and now is the time.”

“Postponing it for another year or two will lead to the rehabilitation of Hezbollah and all parties,” Buhbat said, citing sources, and that “the achievements of the Israeli army will be worthless… Hezbollah will find it difficult to launch a campaign against Israel without the commanders of the two divisions [whom Israel recently assassinated].”

"The IDF emphasizes that the forces trained for the ground maneuver mission in Lebanon, including forces that gained significant experience in the Gaza Strip, raise the IDF to a very high level of efficiency," he added.

Meanwhile, the Hebrew newspaper "Makan" reported that the Israeli Navy held a reception on Wednesday for two new landing ships manufactured by the United States at a naval base in Haifa.

The two ships will be equipped with combat systems before they enter service on "several fronts."

Despite Bohbat's comments, Maariv reported on Wednesday that the Israeli military was losing its willingness to wage an all-out war against Lebanon and Hezbollah because its forces were exhausted after nearly 300 days of fighting in Gaza.

On July 24, Hezbollah released the third episode of the “Hudhud” series, revealing recent drone footage of the sensitive and strategic Ramat David air base and several other important sites that it could hit in the event of a full-scale war with Israel.

The Lebanese resistance group recently struck new Israeli settlements that it had not previously targeted in response to assassinations and indiscriminate Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon.

Its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, warned Israel that it was prepared to fight "without limits, rules or controls" if it launched a large-scale war against Lebanon.

In a speech on July 17, Nasrallah responded to growing Israeli threats against Lebanon and a recent Hebrew media report that Tel Aviv was facing a severe shortage of tanks due to losses in Gaza, saying: “If your tanks reach Lebanon and its south, you will not suffer from a shortage of tanks because you will not have any tanks left.”