There is nowhere we cannot strike
Israel’s prime minister has warned Iran there was “nowhere in the Middle East” that Israel could not strike after troops were ordered to prepare for an invasion of Lebanon.
In a speech in English directed at citizens in the Islamic Republic, Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran was heading towards the “abyss” in a possible prelude to a direct war with the regime.
The speech came as Israeli tanks continued to mass on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon on Monday, with early reports of tanks beginning to shell villages.
Meeting troops on the border, Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence secretary, said the next stage of the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon would “begin soon”.
Mr Netanyahu raised the prospect of expanding the war yet further, telling Iranians: “There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach.
“There is nowhere we will not go to protect our people and protect our country.”
Iran’s “puppets” were being eliminated “every day”, the Israeli prime minister warned.
Mr Netanyhu gave a similar speech directed at the Lebanese people before ordering air strikes that killed the Hezbollah leader in Beirut. He also threatened Iran at the UN last week.
On Monday night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) imposed a “closed military zone” around the northern communities of Metula, Misgav Am and Kfar Giladi.
Smoke from an Israeli air strike billows from the southern Lebanese border town of Khiam – Avalon
The IDF said it was “preparing for the next steps in the fighting” and that tactical battle plans had been approved by the head of its Northern Command.
“I said here a month ago [that] we will shift the centre of gravity [to the north], this is what I say now: We will change the situation and return the residents home,” Mr Gallant added.
Despite Israel having eliminated Hezbollah’s senior leadership and destroyed much of its military capacity in recent days, rockets continued to be fired into northern Israel from Lebanon on Monday.
An estimated 63,000 residents of the north of Israel have had to abandon their homes since Oct 7 because of Hezbollah rocket fire, leaving a string of ghost towns along the 75-mile border.
Israeli tanks and troop carriers gather near the Lebanese border – Erik Marmor/Getty Images Europe
An Israeli artillery unit fires towards Lebanon from a position near the border – Baz Ratner
As tensions mounted, US officials briefed that a “few thousand” additional troops were being sent to the region.
The increased US presence would come from multiple fighter jet squadrons, Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters.
Britain said it was buying seats on commercial airlines to help people evacuate Lebanon.
On Monday, Iran continued to signal that it wanted to avoid further regional escalation, saying that it would not not send troops to Lebanon or Gaza.
Iran’s foreign ministry said that it had not received any request for assistance from Hezbollah and the group did “not need the help of our forces”.
The comments sparked frustration on the streets of Beirut, where some Shia Muslims told The Telegraph that Iran had “abandoned” them.
On Monday night, Israel told Washington that its operations into Lebanon would be “limited”, targeting only Hezbollah infrastructure near its border.
US and Israeli media reported that the scale of Israel’s planned ground operation had already been reduced at the request of the US.
Unlike the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war, in which Israel became bogged down, the new plan was designed only to destroy military targets rather than to conquer territory, it said.
Even at the final hour the UK, US and others continued to push for a ceasefire covering both Lebanon and Gaza.
Protesters in Tel Aviv gather to condemn the actions of Mr Netanyahu in failing to agree a ceasefire in Gaza – Anadolu
Joe Biden, the US president, told reporters that he was “aware” of Israeli plans to launch a ground operation but called for a “ceasefire”.
On Monday, Britain also called for a ceasefire. “Any further escalation must be avoided,” a spokesman for Sir Keir Starmer said, adding that “a ceasefire will provide the space necessary to find the political solution that is necessary to secure peace in the region”.
“We are ironclad in our support for Israel’s right to self-defence … but our very clear message now is, on all sides, [for] all parties to show restraint,” they added.
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