File photo- Journalists gather at the scene of a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs. AP
Addressing troops on the northern border, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Israel's punishing airstrikes this week were designed to ”prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah.”
In an apparent reference to the missile fired at Tel Aviv, Halevi told troops: "Today, Hezbollah expanded its range of fire, and later today, they will receive a very strong response. Prepare yourselves.”
It was not clear whether he was referring to a ground operation, airstrikes or some other form of retaliation against Hezbollah, as reported by AP.
The Israeli military has said in recent days it had no immediate plans for a ground invasion, but Halevi’s comments were the strongest yet suggesting troops could move in.
The military said on Thursday it hit around 75 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon during the night, including ammunition depots of the Lebanese armed group in the area of Bekaa and in southern Lebanon.
Israeli said Wednesday it would activate two reserve brigades for missions in the north — another sign that Israel plans tougher action.
The U.S., France and other allies jointly called for an “immediate” 21-day cease-fire in the conflict that has killed more than 600 people to “provide space for diplomacy.”
Their joint statement, negotiated on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said the fighting was “intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation.” Other signatories include the European Union, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday rejected the proposal for ceasefire in Lebanon and called for the "crushing" of Hezbollah, as reported by AFP.
Smotrich, a key member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, opposed the proposal, insisting that continuing the war against Hezbollah was the only way forward.
"The campaign in the north should end with a single result: crushing Hezbollah and elimination of its ability to harm the residents of the north," Smotrich said on X.
"The enemy must not be given time to recover from the heavy blows it has suffered and reorganise itself to continue the war after 21 days," he said.
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