Israel Prepares for Escalation in Lebanon Under the Pretext of Accelerating Hezbollah's Military Reconstruction

SadaNews - Israel's security agencies are preparing for the possibility of a new escalation amid ongoing aggressive attacks on Lebanon, citing what they describe as "the rapid pace of Hezbollah's military reconstruction" and the rebuilding of its military facilities in several areas of Lebanon.

According to reports from the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation ("Kan 11") on Monday evening, Israeli security agencies believe that Hezbollah is working to restore its infrastructure, particularly in the areas located north of the Litani River and around the capital, Beirut.

The channel reported that Israeli sources claim that Tel Aviv alleges that the Lebanese government is demonstrating a "significant inability" to confront what Israel describes as the "growing power of Hezbollah," which it considers a direct reason for its need to "respond to violations."

At this stage, Israel is reportedly refraining from carrying out strikes in Beirut despite what it considers "violations" within the Lebanese capital. However, Israeli officials warned that "no place will be safe if the necessity arises," indicating the possibility of expanding the scope of attacks.

The channel noted that American pressures on Israel are preventing attacks on targets in the Lebanese capital at this time, while Washington is intensifying its pressure on Beirut to expedite the disarmament of Hezbollah.

The channel pointed out that there is a state of "frustration" among Hezbollah members due to the absence of a response to continuous Israeli attacks in the south, which Israel has carried out in recent weeks "with little resistance."

The report added that this increasing frustration within the party could open the door for conducting operations against Israel without coordination with the party's central leadership in Beirut, a step that may pose a challenge to the line insisted upon by Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Naeem Qassem.

According to Israeli estimates, Qassem remains committed to the option of holding the Lebanese state politically accountable for the Israeli airstrikes, considering that any direct military response from the party "would assist Israel" in expanding its war, as Hezbollah continues to work on rebuilding its capabilities after the losses suffered in the recent war.

For weeks, the Israeli army has intensified its airstrikes almost daily within Lebanese territories. On the evening of the same day, the Israeli army acknowledged the assassination of two individuals in southern Lebanon in separate airstrikes, claiming they were members of Hezbollah.

The Israeli army announced it had killed Muhammad Ali Hadeed in the Nabatieh area, alleging that he was a leader in the "Radwan Force" of Hezbollah. The army claimed that Hadeed "promoted numerous attacks on Israeli territory."

In a separate attack, the army stated that the air force killed another individual in the Aita al-Shaab area, claiming he was a Hezbollah member. It alleged that he "was attempting to gather intelligence about Israeli army forces in the area."

Israel has killed more than 4,000 people and injured about 17,000 during its aggression against Lebanon, which began in October 2023 and escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024.

It has also violated the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, which has been in effect since November 2024, over 4,500 times, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries.

Israel continues to challenge the agreement by maintaining its occupation of five Lebanese hills in the south, which it seized during the last war, in addition to other Lebanese areas it has occupied for decades.