Israel’s defense minister seeks to prepare Israeli public for full-blown war in Lebanon: Report

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has instructed his ministry officials to look into how to prepare the public for a full-blown war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to Israeli media on Tuesday.

A meeting was held last Thursday to present Gallant with the best ways to launch a public campaign to raise awareness about a possible war with Hezbollah, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.

"We need to hurry up with the campaign," an informed source told the daily.

"Citizens need to know exactly what we're preparing for. Not to panic, but to raise awareness. To prepare rather than procrastinate. It doesn't mean a full-scale war will break out tomorrow, but defense is critical because implementing preparedness saves lives," the source said.

"The public is receptive to guidelines and needs to act the same way in case of a full-blown confrontation with Hezbollah."

According to the newspaper, Gallant is worried about the reaction of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to such a public awareness campaign about a full-scale war in Lebanon.

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged cross-border attacks since last October, in the deadliest clashes since the two sides fought a full-scale war in 2006.

The border tension comes amid an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 32,900 people following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

More than 300 people are estimated to have been killed in Lebanon, including at least 246 Hezbollah fighters, since the clashes erupted last October. Nearly 20 Israelis have been killed, according to Israeli figures.