Israeli cabinet discusses Hezbollah role, issues warning to Lebanon: The details

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

Israel has threatened to strike civilian infrastructure in Lebanon if Hezbollah attacks it in the event of a confrontation between Iran and the United States.

Reuters quoted two Lebanese officials as saying the threat would include civilian infrastructure, among it the airport.

The warning was also confirmed by Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji.

At the same time, Israeli officials said that during the latest Cabinet meeting, reports previously presented in Washington were reviewed. The reports alleged that Hezbollah would join a war whenever Iran decides and that the group remains committed to retaining its weapons and is engaged in an arms buildup.

On Tuesday, northern Israel witnessed large-scale military drills that included scenarios simulating an incursion into Lebanese territory.

A security report said that an anticipated proposal from Tehran would determine the direction of the Iran file. Military officials, however, questioned the feasibility of maintaining the large-scale military deployment in the region for an indefinite period.

Diplomatically, expectations in Tel Aviv suggest that if Tehran succeeds in continuing along a diplomatic track, Washington would proceed according to broad outlines of an agreement, with an initial phase focused on the nuclear file and uranium enrichment.

Israel, for its part, hopes Washington will respond to its concerns and insists that the issue of ballistic missiles be addressed in later stages of the talks. It has also maintained that it would seek to destroy those ballistic missiles if no agreement is reached.