Israeli official: South Lebanon will look like Gaza, Beirut won't be immune

A senior Israeli political official has commented on the situation on Israel’s northern border by warning that "if Hezbollah continues to attack Israel, the whole of southern Lebanon will look like Gaza."

"Beirut will not be immune," the official added, according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

"Hezbollah must stop attacking Israel, no country will accept the current situation," the official said.

Speaking prior to Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech, the official also warned that "the countdown to a powerful Israeli response has begun."

"Only Hezbollah's agreement to (U.S. mediator Amos) Hochstein's outline and stopping its attacks will stop the clock," the official added.

Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, and Israel have been trading near-daily fire since the Gaza war was triggered by the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack on southern Israel.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned Hezbollah on Tuesday that it would be destroyed in the event of a "total war" between the two.

The clashes have killed at least 478 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also including 93 civilians, according to an AFP tally.

Israeli authorities say at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed in Israel's north.