Netanyahu says Israel to return residents to north through diplomacy or war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has left open the prospect of a military operation in Lebanon to facilitate the return of Israelis displaced from northern Israel.

"They've left their homes because of fear that Hezbollah would perpetrate the massacres in the northern border with Lebanon that Hamas perpetrated in the border with Gaza,” Netanyahu said in an interview with U.S. news website Politico.

“So we'll do whatever we can to restore security for them and bring them home. ... If we have to do it with military means, we'll do so. If there's a diplomatic way to achieve it, fine. But ultimately, we'll do it," Netanyahu added.

At least 313 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of cross-border violence between Israel and Hezbollah on October 8 -- most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including 53 civilians. On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and seven civilians have been killed, according to the latest official figures.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the fighting on both sides of the border.

Strikes have largely remained confined to border regions for the moment, but several have hit Hezbollah positions further north in recent weeks, raising fears of a full-blown conflict.

The group has repeatedly said that it will only stop its attacks on Israel with a ceasefire in Gaza.