The escalation on the southern front since Tuesday night and throughout Wednesday was not limited only to the "flames" of raids, drones, and missiles and the human and material losses they caused but was accompanied by an escalation in Israeli movements and positions in an unprecedented manner.
This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al-Watan.
The developments seemed not far from the repercussions of the assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps senior commander Razi Mousavi on the outskirts of Damascus and Iran's accusation of Israel being responsible for his liquidation.
However, the "novelty" in the Israeli escalating positions is the direct threat by Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, saying to him, "You are next," suggesting that Cohen is referring to the killing of the Iranian General Mousavi two days ago, as reported by the media.
On the other hand, Nidaa Al-Watan's diplomatic sources focused on Cohen's visit and some ambassadors to the borders with Lebanon and the launching of threats against Nasrallah. They also emphasized the increase in shelling on both sides of the border, seeing them as indicators of escalation intentions.
In this context, Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib said the ministry "will reaffirm through meetings next week with US officials in the White House and the State Department Lebanon's position calling for the implementation of UN resolution 1701 by both Lebanon and Israel alike."
How does the field scene look on the southern front?
The spark that ignited the clashes on both sides of the border was the killing of a Hezbollah member and two members of his family, with a fourth person from the family also injured in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Bint Jbeil.
The party responded by launching missiles at northern Israel.
On the political level, the Israeli Foreign Minister chose the day of the field escalation to lead a tour of foreign ambassadors on the northern border, stating: "Nasrallah must understand that he is next in line. If he does not want to be next, he must immediately implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701."
He added: "There are two options to restore security on the northern border: a political option that includes the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 and the withdrawal of the 'terrorist' Hezbollah to the north of the Litani River, or a military option in which Israel acts to expel Hezbollah from the borders with Israel."
The Israel Broadcasting Authority reported that Hezbollah launched missiles at Ras al-Naqoura during the foreign minister's tour with the ambassadors.
Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet, noted that "the situation on the northern border requires a political solution, and if that does not happen, the Israeli army is ready to act."
He explained that "if Hezbollah does not move away from the border, the Israeli army will force it to do so."
In the same context, Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi, during a visit to the northern command, said that the army is "at a very high level of readiness" amid the escalation of Hezbollah attacks from Lebanon.
He added: "Our first task is to bring the population back safely, which will take time. Today, we agreed to various plans for the future, and we need to be ready to attack if necessary."
On their part, residents of the northern Israeli settlements who were forced to leave their homes due to the escalation between Hezbollah and the Israeli army sent a message to US President Joe Biden, asking him to intervene to return them to their homes.
The Lobby 1701 organization, representing 60,000 residents of northern Israel, sent a message to Biden and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, demanding "to allow Israel to ensure the return of displaced residents to their homes, either through diplomatic means or through a military operation to eliminate the risks threatening their lives."
On the other hand, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran warned that Tehran would respond to the assassination of one of its leaders by Israel "directly" and through other actions carried out by Iran-affiliated groups in the region.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard spokesman, Ramadan Sharif, was quoted by the Mehr News Agency as saying, "Our response to the assassination of martyr Mousavi will be a mixture of direct action and the resistance front."
The term "resistance front" is used in Iran and includes the Syrian regime and Hezbollah, Hamas, Iraqi factions, and Yemeni Houthi groups.