Amid reports of escalating possibilities of clashes between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah, Israel has threatened on Tuesday to “return Lebanon to the Stone Age” in any war involving the party. This comes after weeks of skirmishes between the two sides along the southern border of Lebanon, as reported by Reuters agency.

Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, stated, “Do not make a mistake. We do not want a war. But we are ready to protect our citizens, soldiers, and sovereignty.” He was referring to “Hezbollah.”

This comes as the past few weeks have witnessed confrontations between Lebanese civilians and at least one group of Hezbollah members on one side, and Israeli enemy forces on the southern Lebanese border.

Officials in the Israeli army also estimated that the likelihood of war with “Hezbollah” is the highest since 2006.
The newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth” reported on Monday, quoting unnamed security officials and officers in the Israeli army, that “the risk of a war with Hezbollah across the northern borders is the highest since the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006.”

The report added, “Military officials are concerned that Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah perceives Israeli weakness amid protests against judicial legislation, and he might test the army’s patience despite the risk of a full-fledged conflict.”

Meanwhile, Israeli security officials anticipate a “complex war” scenario with the Lebanese Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran. They stated that Israel could face thousands of missiles per day, while also expressing doubts about the effectiveness of the “Iron Dome” in intercepting missiles targeting occupied areas.

On the other hand, the Israeli site “I24News” mentioned on Monday that the expectation of Israeli security officials for a war comes after an increase in incidents on the southern Lebanese border in recent weeks.