In an unprecedented escalation since the ceasefire agreement entered into force on April 17, the Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, announced that Israel is increasing the pace of its military operations in Lebanon with the aim of “causing greater harm to Hezbollah,” in conjunction with expanding the scope of threats and field actions in the south of the country.
Zamir’s statements came during the ceremony of handing over a new supply plane to the Israeli Air Force, where he stressed that the army is carrying out its operations “with precision and on all fronts, by air and land,” adding that Israel is moving “with determination and responsibility to confront an enemy that has been weakened and has set back severely,” as he put it.
He also considered that Hezbollah still poses a widespread threat to Israel, especially through explosive drones, vowing to continue operations “unabated” to inflict on the party “a heavy price, on the front and in the depths.”
These statements coincided with the Israeli army issuing an unprecedented warning to the residents of southern Lebanon, calling on them to evacuate the areas south of the Zahrani River, considering that they had become a “combat zone,” and stressing that it would use “severe force” against positions and elements affiliated with Hezbollah.
This warning is the first of its kind since the ceasefire took effect, reflecting the scale of the field escalation witnessed on the southern front during recent days, especially after the clashes that took place along the Litani River, and the advance of Israeli forces north towards areas near the city of Nabatieh.
The Israeli army also asked residents of the cities of Tire and Nabatieh to leave areas that it said contained military structures and Hezbollah elements, in a move that raised fears of the expansion of military operations inside southern Lebanon.
This escalation comes in conjunction with preparations for holding a new round of Lebanese-Israeli talks in Washington, which are scheduled to begin on Friday with military meetings, and to be completed on June 2 and 3 with a negotiating round between representatives of both sides.
The southern front has been witnessing a gradual escalation for days, amid continuous Israeli raids on several areas in the south, in parallel with Israeli threats to expand military operations, at a time when fears are increasing of the collapse of existing understandings and the return of open confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah.
