Tensions rise as Israel increases military pressure on Lebanon and Syria — Here are the details

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

As U.S. efforts intensify to reach a security agreement covering Israel, Syria, and Lebanon, an Israeli report revealed that the military has decided not to reduce daily attacks on Lebanon.

Although analysts indicate the Israeli army believes any negotiated settlement would weaken Hezbollah more than the last war, the report noted that the group still retains military and organizational capabilities. Hezbollah remains Israel’s top adversary and a central threat.

The report also said future clashes could involve Palestinian factions or other armed groups. A team of U.S. officers is reportedly permanently stationed at Israel’s Northern Command in Safed, where they receive Israeli intelligence and imagery on Lebanon.

On the Syria front, where a security deal appears closest, Tel Aviv has stepped up attacks and deepened its army’s incursions into Syrian territory, while Defense Minister Israel Katz continued threatening operations on multiple fronts.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the emergency command room maintained by Israel’s Druze community, led by spiritual leader Muwaffaq Tarif. Following the closed-door meeting, Netanyahu addressed the situation from the command center.

Meanwhile, unlike its previous disclosures about operations in Syria, Israel has kept details secret regarding a landing operation involving dozens of its troops in the al-Kiswah area near Damascus that lasted more than two hours.

The Israeli army continues to reinforce its forces along the border with Syria and in areas it still controls, designated as “buffer zones.”