Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled that Israel will accelerate attacks on Hezbollah, the pro-Iran armed faction in Lebanon, even as the United States and Iran reportedly make progress in negotiations to end the war.
"We are at war with Hezbollah," Netanyahu said in a video statement on Tuesday.
Netanyahu added that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had killed more than 600 Hezbollah members in recent weeks. "But we will not slow down. On the contrary, I have said to step up the pace," he said.
The IDF said it had struck more than 70 Hezbollah sites in Lebanon. In Tyre, southern Lebanon, the military attacked 10 locations including Hezbollah command posts and weapons storage facilities, and announced it would continue strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in the eastern Bekaa Valley.
Lebanon's Health Ministry said Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since March have killed 3,185 people and wounded 9,633. Hundreds of thousands of refugees have also fled Lebanon to escape the airstrikes.
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire last month through US mediation, but military clashes have continued. Hezbollah's attacks are also becoming more challenging. Israel is reportedly struggling to counter Hezbollah's FPV drone (first-person view drones controlled from the drone's perspective) strikes.
Analysts say Israel's general election in October is also reinforcing Netanyahu's hardline stance. The prime minister, who has promised "total victory" over Iran, has shown few standout military achievements, while far-right factions and public opinion are urging him to find a solution to Hezbollah's attacks on Israel. Netanyahu's far-right Likud party has recently been trailing in opinion polls.
The key question is whether the Lebanon issue will be included in the US-Iran negotiations to end the war. Iran wants an end to military clashes on all fronts, including Lebanon, but US President Donald Trump has not made his position on the issue clear. The New York Times analyzed that "an escalation of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah could add another complication to the already complex negotiations between the United States and Iran."
