Israel ramps up Gaza strikes, braces for potential Lebanon war.
As the intense bombing of Gaza nears an end, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said troops could shift to the Lebanese border.
In his first interview since the October 7 attacks, Netanyahu indicated Rafah operations are concluding after over a million displacements.
However, full Hamas ouster remains the goal with “mowing the grass” to continue. Around 1,200 Israelis have died in Hamas raids with more than 37,590 Palestinian casualties reported so far in the ensuing Israeli offensive.
With Hezbollah backing Hamas with strikes, violence has escalated on the northern front over the past weeks.
Israel wants the Iran-backed group to pull back from the border as per the 2006 UNSC resolution, but Hezbollah demands a Gaza ceasefire first.
Israeli reprisals after 25 people were killed have likewise left over 400 dead in Lebanon according to the UN.
Amid cross-border threats, the IDF conducted new air raids in south Lebanon overnight. It also reported injuries in a missile attack within Israel.
As Defence Minister Yoav Gallant visited the US, the Chairman of the US military’s joint chiefs flagged broader conflict risks from an Israeli move in Lebanon.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said the region cannot afford “another Gaza” and called for de-escalation as the possibility of war looms large.
