Israeli army approves plans to continue war against Hezbollah in Lebanon

JERUSALEM, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) — The Israeli military announced on Thursday that “plans for the continuation of the war” in Lebanon against Hezbollah had been approved, as it launched a new wave of bombings in southern Lebanon.
Israel’s military chief Herzi Halevi “recently completed the approval of plans for the northern arena,” the military said in a statement.
State-owned Kan TV news, citing an Israeli military official, reported that after nearly a year of fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border, “a military action in the northern arena now seems unavoidable.”
On Thursday afternoon, the Israeli military launched a series of airstrikes in Lebanon, claiming it was targeting Hezbollah positions “to degrade” their capabilities and infrastructure.
The airstrikes followed two consecutive days of explosions of pagers and handheld radios across Lebanon, which have killed at least 37 people and injured 2,931 others.
Israeli officials have not commented on the blasts, which Hezbollah has blamed on Israel. ■