Daijiworld Media Network – Beirut
Beirut, Feb 24: Israel has warned Lebanon that it would launch heavy strikes, including on civilian infrastructure such as the country’s main airport, if Hezbollah becomes involved in any potential war between the United States and Iran, two senior Lebanese officials said on Tuesday.
The warning was reportedly conveyed indirectly, the officials added, speaking on condition of anonymity. There was no immediate response from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the Lebanese presidency.
The development comes as Washington and Tehran prepare for a third round of nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday, mediated by Oman, amid heightened regional tensions.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urged the Iran-backed group Hezbollah not to drag Lebanon into further conflict. “The Gaza adventure imposed a big cost on Lebanon. We hope that we will not be dragged into another adventure,” Salam said in an interview published on Tuesday.
Israel inflicted major damage on Hezbollah during their 2024 war, killing its long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah and thousands of fighters, while destroying significant parts of its arsenal.
Hezbollah, founded in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, has indicated it is not neutral in the standoff between Washington and Tehran. Its current leader, Naim Qassem, said last month that the group was “not neutral” and was itself “targeted by the potential aggression,” adding that it would decide in due course whether to intervene.
The group’s last war with Israel began in 2023 when it opened fire in solidarity with Hamas at the start of the Gaza conflict, leading to months of cross-border fighting before Israel launched a major offensive in 2024.
Meanwhile, the US State Department has begun withdrawing non-essential personnel and their families from its embassy in Beirut. Since a US-backed ceasefire in 2024, Israel has continued carrying out strikes on what it describes as Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, accusing the group of attempting to rearm.
According to Lebanese sources, around 400 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the ceasefire. Hezbollah maintains that it has respected the truce in southern Lebanon, where the Lebanese army says it has established operational control in line with efforts to consolidate state authority over arms.
As regional tensions mount, Lebanon faces renewed fears of being drawn into another destructive conflict.
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