An Israeli military source told Al-Jazeera that the IDF will respond forcefully to any attack by Hezbollah, and the facilities of the Lebanese state will be among its objectives, stressing that the state of alert on the border with Lebanon will continue as long as this is required.

However, the same source confirmed that there is no intention by the Israeli army to deliver any pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah or the Lebanese state, stressing that they are not seeking a confrontation with Hezbollah because their priority is to prevent Iran from stationing militarily in Syria.

Commenting on these statements, Al-Jazeera correspondent Elias Karam said from the Israeli-Lebanese border that this message is very important, and it represents a step to contain the situation, and it is an affirmation that Israel’s priorities and basic war with Iran are.

And he clarified that this military statement came to reduce tension after 10 days of mobilizing its forces on the Lebanese borders in anticipation of any military developments.

This comes as Israeli media quoted military sources as saying that estimates of the Israeli army indicated that last week, Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas attempted to lure Israeli soldiers to the security tape for their sniping, near the town of Chtula, opposite the town of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon.

Israeli media reported - quoting military sources - that the Israeli army has pushed reinforcements to the border with Lebanon, the largest since the 2006 war, and is also continuing to reinforce its forces in the occupied Syrian Golan.

Goals and reinforcements

And Israeli military sources said that the Israeli Defense Minister Bani Gantz and Chief of Staff of the Army Aviv Kochavi instructed the army to prepare targets in Lebanon, including infrastructure, to pressure the Lebanese state to curb Hezbollah from taking any military action against Israel.

And yesterday, Saturday, the Israeli Minister of Defense said that Hezbollah will not be the only one that pays the price of any attack carried out against Israel, but rather the entire Lebanese state.

Last week, the Israeli army announced the reinforcement of its forces near the Lebanese border, in anticipation of attacks that Hezbollah had vowed to carry out, in response to the killing of one of its members in an air strike attributed to Israel near the Syrian capital, Damascus, on July 20.

The Israeli army continues to mass its forces and artillery on the borders with Lebanon and on the front with the Golan.

Rules and messages

The occupation army set up dozens of military bases in the mountains and valleys, and placed artillery directed at Lebanon, which is of a sophisticated and modern type capable of reaching a range of about 40 km.

According to an Israeli military source, the Israeli army has installed surface-to-surface missiles with a range of up to 80 kilometers.

Yesterday, Lebanese President Michel Aoun seized the occasion of the anniversary of the establishment of the army to send double messages; The first is for Israel to affirm its commitment to defend Lebanese sovereignty from what he called Israeli aggressions, the second to the military forces by emphasizing its duty and responsibilities to protect this sovereignty, and the third to the international community by emphasizing the role of the United Nations as an umbrella for resolving conflicts.

Aoun added - in a speech to him on the occasion of the Lebanese Army Day - that Israel is violating with increasing frequency, UN Resolution 1701 and its attacks on Lebanon are continuing.