Lebanese report: London warns Beirut that Israel will launch offensive in mid-June
Gianluca Pacchiani is the Arab affairs reporter for The Times of Israel
Britain has warned Lebanon that Israel will launch a large-scale offensive in mid-June whose extent and duration are not known, and advised Beirut to “make the necessary provisions for the war,” according to the Lebanese news outlet al-Akhbar.
Al-Akhbar is affiliated with Hezbollah, the terror group that has launched daily attacks on northern Israel since the start of the war in Gaza in October.
In recent days, diplomats from various countries have warned Lebanese officials of an imminent escalation by the IDF, and have underscored that the threat is serious, al-Akhbar reports.
The paper adds that Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament and a Hezbollah ally, received a phone call from US special envoy Amos Hochstein last week. Hochstein reportedly told Berri that the US intends to continue negotiations “to achieve a solution” on the Israel-Lebanon border and to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, and after that, talks will begin on the outstanding points between Israel and Lebanon.
