By: Julie Herndon

As the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran intensifies, Israeli officials are already signaling that the conflict’s repercussions will extend far beyond the current air war with Tehran. According to individuals familiar with Israel’s strategic planning, the Israeli military is preparing for continued operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon even after the larger confrontation with Iran concludes.

Sources briefed on Israel’s strategy told Reuters that Israeli leaders view the Hezbollah front as a separate and enduring security challenge that must be addressed independently of the broader war with Iran. The Iranian-backed terrorist group, widely regarded as Tehran’s most powerful regional proxy, has long posed a threat to northern Israel, and Israeli officials appear determined to eliminate or severely weaken its capabilities regardless of how the current conflict with Iran unfolds.

The development underscores the complex and multilayered nature of the conflict now gripping the Middle East. What began as a coordinated campaign against Iran’s military and leadership infrastructure has rapidly expanded into a wider confrontation involving Tehran’s allied groups across the region.

According to the information provided in the Reuters report, Israeli leaders had already warned Lebanon before the start of the Iran war that they would respond forcefully if Hezbollah attempted to intervene on Tehran’s behalf. That warning materialized earlier this week when Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel on Monday.

The rocket fire triggered immediate Israeli retaliation. Israeli aircraft struck several locations linked to Hezbollah, including sites in Beirut’s southern suburbs—an area widely considered a stronghold of the group—as well as targets in eastern and southern Lebanon.

The escalation prompted the Israeli military to issue urgent warnings to civilians living in certain areas. As reported by Reuters, Israeli authorities instructed residents of Beirut’s southern suburbs to evacuate ahead of additional airstrikes. The military had previously ordered civilians to leave large sections of southern Lebanon as part of what officials described as a broader campaign aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.

A military source told Reuters that the purpose of these operations is to “remove the threat” posed by Hezbollah, which Israeli officials accuse of stockpiling thousands of rockets capable of striking deep inside Israeli territory.

The possibility that Israeli operations in Lebanon could continue even after the Iran conflict subsides reflects a strategic calculation within Israel’s defense establishment. According to the source who spoke to Reuters, Israeli leaders believe that allowing Hezbollah to retain its current military capabilities would leave northern Israeli communities permanently vulnerable to attack.

The source emphasized that Israel would not tolerate a situation in which residents of northern Israel live under the constant threat of rocket fire. Unlike previous conflicts in which civilians were evacuated from border areas, Israeli authorities have indicated that they do not intend to permanently relocate residents from their homes.

This position has contributed to Israel’s determination to neutralize Hezbollah’s capacity to threaten those communities.

Early on Friday, Hezbollah responded to Israel’s escalating strikes by issuing its own warning, urging Israeli residents to leave towns near the border. The statement reflected the ongoing tit-for-tat dynamic that has characterized the confrontation between Israel and the militant group for years.

However, Israeli officials appear unwilling to allow Hezbollah’s deterrence strategy to dictate conditions along the frontier. According to the information contained in the Reuters report, the anonymous Israeli source indicated that military operations in Lebanon would likely persist even once Israeli and American airstrikes against Iran begin to wind down.

Several security officials in Lebanon share that assessment. Two senior Lebanese security figures and a foreign security official based in the country told Reuters that they expect Israel to pursue a prolonged campaign against Hezbollah regardless of the outcome of the war with Iran.

One of the Lebanese officials described Israel’s objective in stark terms. “This is about ending Hezbollah once and for all,” the official told Reuters.

Hezbollah has been a dominant force in Lebanese politics and security for decades, wielding significant influence over the country’s government while maintaining a powerful paramilitary structure. Backed by Iran’s financial support, weapons, and training, the organization has developed a sophisticated military apparatus that includes tens of thousands of fighters and a vast arsenal of missiles.

However, Israeli operations over the past year have already dealt severe blows to the group. In 2024, Israeli strikes reportedly killed Hezbollah’s leader and numerous senior commanders, significantly disrupting the organization’s leadership structure.

Despite those losses, Hezbollah remains capable of launching attacks against Israel. The rocket fire earlier this week demonstrated that the group still possesses operational capabilities that Israeli planners consider unacceptable.

According to the officials cited by Reuters, one scenario under consideration involves Israel establishing a long-term military presence along the border region in southern Lebanon. Such a move would effectively create a security buffer zone designed to prevent Hezbollah fighters from operating near Israeli communities.

The possibility of an extended Israeli occupation of the border strip represents a dramatic escalation that could reshape the security landscape of southern Lebanon. Israeli forces previously occupied parts of the region from 1982 until 2000, when they withdrew after years of guerrilla warfare with Hezbollah.

While Israeli leaders have not publicly confirmed plans for a new occupation, the officials who spoke to Reuters said they believe such a development is increasingly likely if Hezbollah continues to threaten northern Israel.

At the same time, Israel has been reinforcing its military presence along the frontier. According to the Reuters report, Israeli authorities have deployed additional troops into southern Lebanon as part of what they describe as defensive measures aimed at protecting Israeli civilians living nearby.

Israeli officials have repeatedly insisted that their objective is not territorial expansion but rather the elimination of a persistent security threat.

The fighting has already taken a significant toll on Lebanon. The country’s health ministry reported that Israeli attacks this week have killed at least 123 people and wounded another 683. According to the Reuters report, the ministry’s figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Lebanon’s fragile political system and struggling economy have made the country particularly vulnerable to the consequences of renewed conflict. Many Lebanese citizens fear that a prolonged Israeli campaign could push the country deeper into instability.

Meanwhile, the broader war between Israel, the United States, and Iran continues to unfold. President Trump said earlier this week that the joint U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran was initially expected to last between four and five weeks, though he acknowledged that the operation could extend longer depending on developments on the ground.

The campaign has already targeted key elements of Iran’s military infrastructure, including missile launchers, command centers, and facilities linked to its nuclear and ballistic weapons programs.

The possibility that Israel could remain engaged simultaneously on multiple fronts—against Iran directly and against Hezbollah in Lebanon—illustrates the scale of the strategic challenge confronting Israeli defense planners.

For Israel, Hezbollah represents not merely a proxy force but a heavily armed organization capable of launching large-scale attacks against its territory. Israeli leaders have long argued that neutralizing that threat is essential for ensuring the safety of northern communities.

As Reuters has reported, Israeli officials increasingly appear to believe that the current regional upheaval provides an opportunity to address the Hezbollah issue once and for all.

Whether that objective can be achieved without triggering a wider regional conflict remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the war against Iran may represent only one phase of a broader and potentially longer struggle reshaping the security dynamics of the Middle East. (Additional reporting by Fern Sidman)