Israel is seeking to capture southern Lebanon. One Israeli official said that Tel Aviv plans to destroy the region. 

Axios reports that US and Israeli officials said that Israel plans to take Lebanon south of the Litani River. “The goal is to take over territory, push Hezbollah’s forces north and away from the border, and dismantle its military positions and weapons depots in the villages,” a senior Israeli official said.

Israel has already ordered an evacuation of the area and is engaging in heavy bombing. “We are going to do what we did in Gaza,” one senior Israeli official explained to the outlet. 

The bombing of Lebanon intensified after Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel in response to the US and Israeli war against Iran that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Hezbollah has fired multiple salvos of missiles into Israel, causing some damage. 

French President Emmanuel Macron is attempting to broker a deal to end the fighting. The French proposal, which Axios reports has been initially accepted by Beirut, calls for Lebanon to recognize the state of Israel. If fully implemented, the deal would lead to the demilitarization of Hezbollah. 

Naim Qassem said Friday that the diplomatic path failed to protect the Lebanese people. In November 2024, Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire with Israel that was brokered by the US and France. While the Lebanese group halted attacks on Israel, Israeli bombs continued to pound Lebanon.

Additionally, Israeli officials told Axios that Tel Aviv is not interested in a ceasefire. “Before this attack, we were ready for a ceasefire in Lebanon, but after it, there is no way back from a massive operation,” a senior Israeli official said.

An Israeli official told the outlet that Tel Aviv has Washington’s full backing to wage war in Lebanon. “We feel we have full US backing for this operation,” they explained.