What we know about Israel's plans for Lebanon offensive
The plans approved by the Israeli army regarding Lebanon include a broad invasion of southern Lebanon and the occupation of large parts of it, in order to end Hezbollah’s combat capabilities, a western diplomat in Jerusalem said.
The diplomat told Kuwaiti newspaper al-Jarida, in remarks published Friday, that the Israeli army has recently completed extensive maneuvers in various areas of Israel, including training to occupy villages and cities after systematically destroying them by air and land, using new advanced weapons.
The Israeli army had said earlier this week that plans for an offensive in Lebanon were "approved and validated".
In a televised address on Wednesday, Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned that "no place" in Israel would "be spared our rockets" if a wider war began.
He also threatened nearby Cyprus if it opened its airports or bases to Israel "to target Lebanon".
Nasrallah said his group has information that the Israel’s military is conducting maneuvers in Cyprus in mountainous areas similar to those of Lebanon adding that they also use Cypriot airports.
The level of threats between Israel and Hezbollah intensified following last week’s killing by Israel of Hezbollah’s most senior commander since the fighting began. Hezbollah retaliated by firing hundreds of rockets into northern Israel in retaliation.
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