Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has issued a stark warning to Lebanon, threatening a full-scale ground invasion as hostilities intensify along the southern front.
The escalation comes following a series of Israeli strikes that left 24 people injured and killed a senior Hezbollah commander.
During a visit to the Israel-Lebanon border, Gallant announced the shift of military focus northward, indicating preparations for an extensive ground operation in southern Lebanon.
He urged the Israeli military to be fully prepared for a wide-ranging offensive, signaling heightened tensions in the region.
In the latest escalation, Israeli airstrikes targeted Mohammed Qassem Al-Shaar, a field commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit, killing him in Western Bekaa.
The strikes also injured 24 people, including 12 in a targeted strike on a five-story building in Nabatieh, a major city in southern Lebanon's eastern sector.
The Israeli military confirmed Al-Shaar's death, with army spokesperson Avichay Adraee stating on social media that the commander had been involved in planning attacks against Israel, describing his elimination as a significant blow to Hezbollah's operational capabilities.