Israel to begin offensive in Lebanon later in July, report

Israel will begin its offensive on Lebanon in the second half of July unless Hezbollah holds its fire, the German Bild reported on Monday, quoting diplomatic sources.

According to the paper, Hezbollah does not intend to stop its attacks on Israel until the war in Gaza ends.

Hezbollah began attacking Israel following the beginning of the Gaza war. The group has launched rockets, missiles, and drones at the Galilee prompting the evacuation of tens of thousands of Israelis communities near the borders.

The Israeli army has been bombing border areas in south Lebanon and further inland but has not prevented further attacks from the Lebanese group.

Germany’s Lufthansa Airlines announced yesterday that it was suspending its night flights to Beirut until the end of July following concerns of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah. Daytime flights would continue.

The German government also urged its citizens to leave Beirut as did other countries including the Netherlands, Canada, Kuwait, and Macedonia. The American embassy in Beirut called on Americans to reconsider any planned visits to Lebanon and for those already in the country to avoid its borders with Syria and Israel.

US officials last week told Politico that administration officials told Hezbollah that Washington may not be able to prevent an Israeli attack in South Lebanon. The US also moved the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp into the eastern Mediterranean in a bid to deter Hezbollah from escalating its attacks and to assist in the evacuation of Americans from the area if the need arises.