Israel is bracing for a "total conflict" in Lebanon and has secured approval for plans aimed at an offensive against Hezbollah, as stated by officials.

These declarations by Israel’s foreign minister and military emerged late Tuesday after Hezbollah released threatening drone footage. The escalating tension clashes with U.S. efforts to prevent a larger conflict amidst months of minor hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon border.

The nine-minute drone video, taken in daylight over Haifa, an Israeli port city, depicted civilian and military zones, including shopping centers, residential areas, a weapons manufacturing site, and missile defense systems.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz sharply responded on X, addressing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah for his statements about filming Haifa’s ports, run by companies from China and India.

Nasrallah boasts today about filming the ports of Haifa, operated by international companies from China and India, and threatens to attack them.
We are very close to the moment of decision to change the rules against Hezbollah and Lebanon. In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be…

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) June 18, 2024

“We are nearing a critical point to alter the rules against Hezbollah and Lebanon. In a full-scale war, Hezbollah will be obliterated and Lebanon will incur severe damage,” Katz stated.

Subsequently, the Israeli military announced in a statement that Ori Gordin, leader of its Northern Command, which oversees the frontline with Hezbollah, has confirmed plans for a ground invasion across Israel’s northern frontier.

“During the situational assessment, offensive operational plans for Lebanon were confirmed and validated, and decisions were made to further enhance troop readiness in the field,” the statement revealed.

Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in skirmishes along the border since the onset of the Gaza conflict following the October 7 assaults on Israel. The conflict is intensifying, with both factions indicating preparedness for war.

Nasrallah is set to give a speech on Wednesday afternoon. He has previously stated that Hezbollah’s attacks will cease if Israel withdraws from Gaza, a conflict that has resulted in at least 37,000 Palestinian deaths.

The Israeli military has been consistently conducting airstrikes on Lebanon since the war began. On Tuesday, it asserted that it targeted military infrastructure in various southern areas of Lebanon.

On Monday, it claimed to have eliminated a “key operative” in Hezbollah’s rocket division in a drone attack. The previous week, it assassinated Taleb Abdullah, reportedly in charge of a Hezbollah division along the western front between Israel’s border and the Litani River.

Hezbollah announced it has conducted over 2,100 military operations against Israel since October 8, aiming to support Palestinians.

In Lebanon, more than 400 individuals have perished, including journalists and paramedics, over the past eight months, while 25 deaths have occurred in Israel. Over 90,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon, and more than 60,000 have been forced to leave their homes in northern Israel.

The U.S. is engaging diplomatically to deter an escalation, as White House envoy Amos Hochstein stated on Tuesday during a visit to Lebanon.

“We have observed increased hostilities over the recent weeks. President Biden’s objective is to prevent a significant escalation leading to a broader war,” Hochstein told reporters in Beirut following his meetings in Israel a day prior.