Escalation or containment: Israel's Lebanon dilemma deepens

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

Israel's security cabinet concluded overnight discussions Sunday with proposals to intensify military operations in Lebanon and reshape the rules of engagement against Hezbollah, amid mounting concern over the group's explosive drones.

The discussions grew heated after Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir presented a report revealing the death of another Israeli soldier in an attack carried out by a Hezbollah explosive drone.

According to Israeli reports, Zamir's recommendations went beyond combat in South Lebanon. He reportedly called for a broader operational doctrine that would allow the Israeli army to target buildings across a wider geographical area stretching from the southern city of Tyre to Beirut.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also urged the government to reject any clause in a potential U.S.-Iran agreement that includes Lebanon. He proposed a retaliatory formula under which Israel would destroy 10 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs for every drone launched by Hezbollah.

While Smotrich's proposal did not receive unanimous backing, Israeli media reported that Zamir's broader recommendations could be decided during an expanded security cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday evening.

Beyond the drone issue, the cabinet reportedly failed to reach a final decision on how Israel could preserve what it calls freedom of offensive action inside Lebanon without being dragged into a full-scale war, particularly as Israeli officials accuse Hezbollah of trying to rebuild its military capabilities.

Israeli officials also debated how Hezbollah might respond to future Israeli strikes, even if a U.S.-Iran agreement is reached. Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, Israeli assessments reportedly indicate that Hezbollah would likely retaliate immediately against any major attack.

As Israel continues searching for defensive systems capable of countering explosive drones, Hezbollah drones continue targeting northern Israeli settlements. Three drones reportedly crashed in the Galilee and the town of Metula, as tensions remained high on both sides of the border.