Israel Braces for Potential Showdown with Hezbollah: A New Phase in the Conflict

Israel's defense minister has announced a 'new phase' of the war, signaling a heightened conflict with Hezbollah. The situation escalated with Israeli attacks in Lebanon, prompting a powerful military deployment to the northern border. Diplomatic solutions appear to be fading, and public sentiment supports tougher action against Hezbollah.

With Israel's defense minister announcing a 'new phase' of the war and an apparent Israeli attack setting off explosions in electronic devices in Lebanon, the specter of all-out combat between Israel and Hezbollah seems closer than ever before.

Hopes for a diplomatic solution to the conflict appear to be fading quickly as Israel signals a desire to change the status quo in the country's north, where it has exchanged cross-border fire with Hezbollah since the Lebanese militant group began attacking on Oct. 8, a day after the war's opening salvo by Hamas.

In recent days, Israel has moved a powerful fighting force up to the northern border, officials have escalated their rhetoric, and the country's security Cabinet has designated the return of tens of thousands of displaced residents to their homes in northern Israel an official war goal.

(With inputs from agencies.)