Israel Informs Washington of its Readiness for Military Action in Lebanon, Hezbollah Warns of it

"Mutual promises between Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel escalate as cross-border shelling continues, amid reports of a letter from Tel Aviv to Washington warning of an attack on Lebanon if diplomatic pressure does not reach its goal."

The Israeli broadcaster said that Benjamin Netanyahu's government had warned in a letter to Washington that it would take military action in Lebanon if Hezbollah's Radwan Force was not moved away from the border.

Hizbullah announced today several operations against Israeli forces and positions, while Israel launched a series of air raids on southern Lebanon and announced the interception of a drone over the skies of Akka.

Hizbullah said it fired two Burkan missiles on the outskirts of al-Summaqah and Ramtha positions in the occupied Shebaa Farms, as well as on the outskirts of the Khirbet Maaz base and an Israeli gathering in Mount Nazer.

Meanwhile, Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that Israeli jets targeted the surroundings of the town of Ramia and Jabal Balat with 12 raids, and also carried out four raids around the towns of Udaysah, Kafr Killa and Aytarun.

The Israeli bombardment also extended to the vicinity of the towns of Mays al-Jabal, Muhaybib, Blida, Al-Khiam, Adisa, Rashaya al-Fukhar and Al-Habhariya.

The Israeli raids "totally destroyed" at least three homes in the village of Kafr Killa, according to the official Lebanese News Agency and the village's border mukhtar.

The official agency said that the Israeli air force targeted the three houses in the morning and another house in the afternoon, coinciding with an artillery bombardment that hit a fifth house in the village.

"There are about 100 residents remaining in Kafr Kila, and fortunately the targeted houses were empty," Mokhtar Kfar Kola Hassan Shet told AFP.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army spokesman said that the Iron Dome intercepted a march from Lebanon that penetrated into Israeli airspace over the sea. Israeli media reported that the air defenses confronted a target in the airspace of Akka.

In a statement, the Israeli military spokesman said that warplanes raided missile launching sites and Hezbollah military headquarters in the area of the village of Ramia in southern Lebanon.

The army targeted reconnaissance sites and Hizbullah infrastructure in the villages of Houla and Kafr Killa, he said.

Mutual threats
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited the northern front and said Israel is not seeking escalation with Hezbollah, but is willing to use force to return Israelis to their homes if Hezbollah does not respect their right to live in those areas, he said.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post quoted Western and Lebanese officials as saying that "Israel threatened to escalate its fighting with Hezbollah if an agreement is not reached within weeks."

Sheik Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's deputy secretary-general, warned that Israel would receive an answer "with great fanfare and with strong action" if it expanded its aggression.

"Our readiness to repel aggression is high, and we are preparing ourselves for an aggression that may happen, has a beginning and has no end," he said.

Qassim stressed that stability in Lebanon and the region and an end to the war can only be achieved by stopping the aggression on Gaza.

Hezbollah became embroiled in a confrontation with Israel following Operation Al-Aqsa Deluge on October 7 and the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza.

Tens of thousands of Israelis have had to be evacuated from settlements and towns near the border with Lebanon.

"Through diplomatic pressure on Beirut, Israel is trying to push Hezbollah fighters beyond the Litani River, so it can return the Israelis to the northern settlements, while threatening a full-scale attack on Lebanon."

Source: Al-Jazeera + agencies