The Israel Defense Forces have formally announced the launch of a large-scale operation in Lebanon. Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir stated that the campaign is primarily aimed at countering the Shiite movement Hezbollah.

Addressing senior commanders, Zamir said Israel had moved from a defensive posture to offensive action against Hezbollah. He warned that the country must brace for combat that could drag on and stressed that the operation would require the mobilization of all available resources.

The IDF has not disclosed operational details, including the forces involved or the capabilities being deployed. Military leadership, however, maintains that the army is fully prepared to carry out its assigned objectives.

Shortly before the announcement, Hezbollah entered the war on Iran’s side. The group launched rockets and a swarm of drones at an Israeli military base near Haifa, describing the strike as retaliation for the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel responded with strikes on Hezbollah facilities in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon. Among those killed in an Israeli attack on Beirut was Mohammed Raad, head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary faction.

Israeli Air Force jets also carried out strikes on Beirut’s southern outskirts after Lebanese shelling targeted northern Israeli settlements.

Notably, even before Hezbollah’s formal entry into the conflict, Israel had begun mobilizing reservists-first 70,000 and then 100,000 troops. This sequence of events suggests that Tel Aviv’s decision to proceed with a military operation had been taken in advance, irrespective of Hezbollah’s subsequent actions.