The specter of war looms large as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned G7 counterparts that Iran and Hezbollah could attack Israel as early as Monday.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is contemplating a preemptive strike on Iran to thwart the impending assault, as reported by the Times of Israel.
In a high-stakes meeting, Netanyahu conferred with heads of Israel's intelligence agencies, Mossad's David Barnea and Shin Bet's Ronen Bar, alongside Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.
The urgency of the situation stems from Hezbollah's recent escalations and the assassination of senior Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr.
Hezbollah, Iran's primary proxy in the Middle East since the 1980s, receives funding and arms from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The group, rooted in Lebanon's Shiite Muslim population, shares Tehran's core ideology and has vowed to intensify attacks into Israeli territory, targeting more than just military installations.
The assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, attributed to Israel though not confirmed by Israeli authorities, further complicates the volatile situation.
The cross-border skirmishes have heightened fears of a full-scale conflict, reminiscent of the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
The recent assassination of Fuad Shukr by an Israeli strike in south Beirut, which also claimed five civilian lives, has provoked Hezbollah to promise deeper incursions into Israeli territory.
This incident has led several embassies, including India’s, to advise their citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial flights are still available.
Hezbollah has been engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire with Israeli forces, targeting military positions since Hamas initiated an attack on Israel on October 7, igniting the ongoing war in Gaza.
In a bid to de-escalate tensions, Antony Blinken held a conference call with G7 foreign ministers to coordinate diplomatic efforts. The international community watches with bated breath as the possibility of a new Middle Eastern conflict looms.
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