![Residents, Hezbollah members, and relatives attend the funeral ceremony for Senior Hezbollah commander Ali Muhammad al-Debs, killed in Israeli strike in Nabatieh, Lebanon on February 16, 2024 [Ramiz Dallah - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/AA-20240216-33726767-33726764-FUNERAL_CEREMONY_HELD_FOR_SENIOR_HEZBOLLAH_COMMANDER_KILLED_IN_ISRAELI_ATTACKS_IN_LEBANON.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
As the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies alongside the ongoing military onslaught on Gaza, Israeli officials are increasingly signalling their readiness for a full-scale offensive along the northern border with Lebanon. The Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), Herzi Halevi, stated yesterday that Israel is nearing a decision point and is prepared to launch an offensive in the north after extensive training.
The recent hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which have reached their worst levels since the 2006 war, have forced tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the border to flee their homes. Hezbollah has been striking Israel in support of Palestinians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza, vowing to cease fire only when the Israeli offensive on the besieged enclave stops.
READ: Hezbollah official says expansion of war on Lebanon will see destruction and displacement in Israel
Far-right Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir have been vocal in their calls for increased military action against Hezbollah. “There cannot be peace in Lebanon while our land is hit and people here are evacuated. They’re setting fires here, we must burn all of Hezbollah’s strongholds, destroy them. War!” Ben-Gvir is reported saying in Reuters during a visit to the northern city of Kiryat Shmona.
Both Hezbollah and Hamas were founded in response to Israel’s occupation of Lebanon and Palestine, respectively. Israel has been locked in a bitter conflict with these resistance groups, which have been fighting against Israel’s colonial land grab for decades.
The US, whilst viewing Hezbollah as a terrorist group, has expressed its preference for a diplomatic solution to the conflict with the Lebanese group. The European Union has called for restraint from all sides, warning that nobody stands to gain from a broader regional conflict.
As tensions continue to rise and Israeli officials drum up support for war with Hezbollah, the international community is closely monitoring the situation, fearing that an even wider confrontation could break out between the heavily armed adversaries. The ongoing violence has already claimed the lives of about 300 Hezbollah members, 80 Lebanese civilians, 18 Israeli soldiers and ten Israeli civilians, according to Reuters tallies and Israeli military reports.