Israel warns Lebanon of renewed strikes if Hezbollah joins Iran war

Israel demands Lebanon deploy forces to avert new conflict with Hezbollah if Iran war breaks out.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel has warned Lebanon that any attempt by Hezbollah to join a renewed military confrontation between Israel and Iran will trigger another round of fighting in Lebanon, according to a report Monday evening by Israel’s national broadcaster, Kan.

The warning was reportedly conveyed to the Lebanese government through American intermediaries in recent days, amid growing Israeli concerns that Tehran could pressure the Hezbollah terrorist organization to open a second front against Israel if hostilities with Iran resume.

Israel also demanded that the Lebanese Armed Forces expand their deployment and establish checkpoints in areas where Hezbollah operatives reside, in an effort to prevent the organization from mobilizing for another conflict.

According to Kan, Israeli officials emphasized that the ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Jerusalem and Beirut would not prevent renewed Israeli military action if Hezbollah joins the fighting.

The Israeli Air Force has meanwhile intensified strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon over the past three weeks, concentrating on areas where Lebanese troops have not yet established a presence.

Israeli security officials reportedly believe that the Lebanese military’s deployment has been delayed by personnel shortages, insufficient motivation and limited operational capabilities.

The developments come amid continued difficulties implementing the US-brokered agreement reached between Israel and Lebanon on June 26, which links the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon to Hezbollah’s disarmament and the deployment of Lebanese government troops.

During a security briefing on October 18, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Lebanese army had “not demonstrated sufficient capabilities” to eliminate Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in two designated areas where its effectiveness was being tested.

Netanyahu warned that Israel would take action if the Lebanese government failed to eliminate the Hezbollah threat.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has meanwhile insisted that Israeli military operations and the continued presence of Israeli troops in southern Lebanon are obstructing efforts to restore stability.

In an interview with AFP in September, Aoun expressed support for a negotiated security agreement with Israel.

“We have no choice but negotiations, because the alternative is war, which would be very costly for us,” Aoun said.

Concerns over another confrontation have also grown inside Lebanon, with the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reporting Monday that Lebanese officials fear Hezbollah could again draw the country into a regional war.

“We cannot exclude the possibility of Israel launching another war against Lebanon,” Lebanese ministerial sources told the newspaper, expressing concern that Hezbollah might enter another confrontation despite previous assurances.

Israeli media have also reported that the IDF is preparing contingency plans for a major offensive in southern Lebanon, potentially involving operations against the cities of Tyre, Sidon and Nabatieh if Hezbollah joins a renewed war with Iran.

The prospect of another conflict is already affecting civilian life in Lebanon, particularly in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold repeatedly targeted during previous fighting.

According to Asharq Al-Awsat, some residents have relocated permanently, while others are renting additional apartments outside the area to provide emergency shelter in the event of renewed Israeli airstrikes.

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