Israel has issued a stark warning to Hezbollah, threatening the prospect of “all-out war” after the Lebanese militant group published a 9-minute video, allegedly captured by a drone, showing Israeli military and civilian locations in several cities. The escalating tensions come amid months of intensifying cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel following the October 7 Hamas attacks and the subsequent military campaign by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, in a statement on X, cautioned that Israel is “getting very close to the moment of deciding to change the rules of the game against Hezbollah and Lebanon.” He added, “In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed, and Lebanon severely beaten.”
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The Hezbollah footage, filmed during the daytime, purportedly shows Krayot, a cluster of densely populated residential cities north of Haifa, as well as malls, high-rises, and sensitive military installations, including a base in northern Haifa, the port of Haifa, oil tanks, the Haifa airport, and several residential areas. CNN analysis has geolocated the video to these locations and determined that the drone mission lasted multiple hours or took place over multiple days.
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav described the video as “psychological terror” and demanded a protection plan for his city, criticizing IDF commanders for not having visited Haifa since the October 7 Hamas attack. Weapons expert Wim Zwijnenburg identified the drone visible in the footage as an Iranian-origin model, possibly manufactured locally.
Hezbollah has claimed the video is the “first episode,” suggesting more videos from deep inside Israeli territory are forthcoming. Hezbollah lawmaker Ibrahim Mousawi hinted at further revelations, stating, “This is what the party [Hezbollah] announced and you saw, but what is hidden is greater and greater and greater! Haifa and beyond, beyond, and beyond Haifa.”
In response to the growing threat, Israel’s military has “approved and validated” operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon and made decisions on increasing the readiness of troops in the field. While the approval of these plans does not necessarily signal an imminent war, it demonstrates Israel’s intention to be prepared for such a scenario.
Since October 7, Hezbollah has fired more than 5,000 rockets, missiles, and drones at northern Israel, claiming solidarity with the Palestinian people. Israel, in turn, has carried out hundreds of strikes in Lebanon and evacuated approximately 60,000 residents from the northern border, while more than 90,000 Lebanese have also fled their homes in the area.
The United States has sought to ease tensions and avoid a wider regional conflict, sending special envoy Amos Hochstein to Israel and Lebanon this week in an effort to find a diplomatic solution to the escalating crisis.
CNN
