Occupation announces start of 'offensive battle' against Hezbollah and Israeli calls to destroy Lebanese infrastructure

The commander of the Israeli occupation army, Eyal Zamir, announced the transition of military forces from a defensive state to launching a comprehensive offensive battle against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Zamir confirmed in official statements that the army has already begun implementing waves of airstrikes, calling on the home front and the military establishment to prepare for a long period of continuous fighting and to exploit all available operational opportunities.

These field developments come after Hezbollah launched three rocket projectiles towards the city of Haifa, in addition to other barrages targeting the center of the country and drones that were intercepted over the Upper Galilee. Despite initial official silence, Hebrew media sources indicated that the security establishment sees this escalation as a pretext to complete the destruction of the party's military arsenal and disarm it permanently.

In the context of political incitement, heads of local authorities in Galilee settlements called on the Israeli government to seize what they described as 'Hezbollah's mistake' to dismantle its organizational structure in cooperation with international parties. Former National Security Advisor, Uzi Dayan, also called for the complete displacement of residents of southern Lebanon and turning the area into a 'death zone' devoid of life, emphasizing the necessity of striking the vital infrastructure of the Lebanese state.

Operationally, the occupation army initiated the call-up of thousands of reserve soldiers to reinforce various fronts, while military intelligence units began recruiting additional personnel. These moves reflect Israeli fears of the confrontation expanding to include additional fronts, especially with the continued escalating regional tension and the intertwining of issues between Lebanon and Iran.

Regarding the Iranian file, former National Security Advisor, Yaakov Nagel, revealed that the current Israeli approach is now openly focused on seeking to overthrow the ruling regime in Tehran. Nagel explained that the previous abstention from declaring this goal was due to political and diplomatic considerations, but the current phase requires harsh strikes targeting military and intelligence leaders to destabilize the regime.

Hebrew reports indicated that recent airstrikes focused intensively on the capital Tehran and vital facilities in Isfahan, where Iran is believed to be hiding quantities of enriched uranium. These raids, according to sources, aim to undermine the Iranian nuclear project concurrently with attempts to assassinate high-ranking figures in the Revolutionary Guard and sensitive security agencies.

Despite ambitious Israeli aspirations, sources in the 'Cabinet' acknowledged that there are assessments indicating that military effort alone may not be enough to overthrow the Iranian regime, but rather aims to weaken it to the maximum extent. Tel Aviv is betting that these successive strikes will encourage the Iranian street to revolt, exploiting the vacuum created after the assassination of influential leading figures in the political and military structure.

For his part, US President Donald Trump entered the crisis with statements that raised questions in Tel Aviv, where he predicted that military operations against Iran would continue for four weeks or less. Trump indicated that there were contacts with Iranian parties that requested to speak with the US administration, which raised concerns among some Israeli officials about the possibility of Washington seeking an early diplomatic solution.

Domestically in Israel, political analysts warned of the heavy price Israel might pay if the war prolongs, especially with continued economic losses in the north and disruption of life in border settlements. The diplomatic affairs editor at Hebrew Radio indicated that the capture of any Israeli pilot could turn the tables and impose new rules of engagement that the government does not desire.

Anticipation remains the master of the situation on the northern front, where intelligence estimates indicate that Hezbollah has used only a small fraction of its missile capabilities so far. Security sources fear that the latest attack is merely a 'symbolic operation' preceding a wider escalation, which puts the Israeli army on maximum alert awaiting what the coming days will bring in terms of field confrontations.

We have launched an offensive battle against Hezbollah, and we are not only on the defensive lines, but we are moving to the offensive and must prepare for many days of fighting.