BEIRUT/JERUSALEM — Israel's military is preparing for a possible new offensive in Lebanon if hostilities with Iran reignite, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Friday, in a report carried by Anadolu Agency. The newspaper said the military is preparing for another round of fighting on the Lebanese front in the event of renewed hostilities with Tehran, with Israeli forces continuing operations along the Lebanon border, preparing military positions and updating operational plans ahead of winter.
According to the report, Israel's security establishment is awaiting a US decision on whether to resume military operations against Iran, and the situation could change rapidly depending on developments in Washington. The newspaper said the Israeli military has not detected unusual signs of increased US military preparations in the region, apart from the reinforcement of American forces in southern Israel and naval movements in the Arabian Sea — a detail also reported in Ynet-based reporting on the same preparations.
The report highlighted differences over what a renewed operation against Iran would be for. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to overthrow the Iranian government, the newspaper said, some officials in Washington favour a swift, intensive military operation aimed at weakening Tehran and forcing it to negotiate from a disadvantaged position. These are Yedioth Ahronoth's characterisations, reported as such, and neither government has confirmed them in the sources consulted.
The newspaper also reported that disagreements over Iran had emerged before Israel's parliamentary elections last month, with military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir clashing with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz over their push for military action against Tehran. It added that some Israeli officials believe Netanyahu is seeking to provoke another war with Iran to remain in power after his bloc won 53 of the 120 Knesset seats in the October 27 elections, compared with 48 for the opposition bloc — again, a claim attributed to the newspaper's reporting, not an established fact.
On the ground, the preparations are being reported while cross-border violence continues despite the June framework. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported on Saturday that the Israeli army carried out a demolition operation in Bani Hayyan, search operations in Khiam in the Marjayoun district, and artillery shelling on the outskirts of Wadi al-Hujair, with the outskirts of Baraachit in Bint Jbeil district and Wadi Zibqin also coming under intermittent artillery fire overnight.
BACKGROUND: The United States and Israel launched a military offensive against Iran on February 28, 2026, before a ceasefire was reached in April; fighting between Washington and Tehran resumed in July as diplomatic efforts remained stalled. On June 26, Lebanon and Israel signed the US-mediated framework agreement providing for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory in exchange for the deployment of the Lebanese army and its assumption of security responsibilities. Washington insists Tehran make concessions on its nuclear programme before negotiations resume, while Iran demands the removal of US sanctions, the release of frozen assets and permission to export oil.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: by Yedioth Ahronoth's account, the trigger sits in Washington — a US decision to resume operations against Iran would, in Israel's planning, open the Lebanese front again, with Hezbollah's response the key unknown. For the lakhs of Punjabi and Indian workers across the Gulf, a renewed Iran war with a Lebanon front would again threaten flights, remittances and worker safety across the region, which is why this desk tracks the preparations, not just the strikes.