Tensions intensify: Israel prepares for potential new fighting stretching from Lebanon to Syria

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said prospects for peace with Syria, whether through a security agreement or a border-demarcation settlement, have grown increasingly remote. 

His comments came during a closed session of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, where he warned of expanding threats to Israel not only from Syria and Lebanon but also from Yemen's Houthis.

Katz said the Israeli military would protect Syrian Druze communities if they came under attack. 

Lebanon, he added, remains central in Israel's security calculations, with Israeli officials viewing the northern front as vulnerable to a potential flare-up. This concern has pushed the Israeli army to boost its capabilities and readiness on the first anniversary of the ceasefire announcement.

His remarks coincided with a new Israeli media report claiming that the United States provided full support for the assassination of senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Tabatabai and maintains close coordination with Israel on matters involving Hezbollah and Lebanon, despite Washington's public denial.

The head of the Middle East program at Israel's Mitvim Institute said both Israel and the United States are betting on weakening Hezbollah. He added that the two countries have placed the Lebanese president before a stark equation: remove Hezbollah's weapons and Israel will withdraw from Lebanon.

Israeli analysts doubt President Joseph Aoun will accept such a demand. 

Based on that assumption, Israeli officials are preparing for the possibility of a new round of fighting—one that could stretch from Lebanon into Syria.