ISTANBUL 

The Israeli army said Thursday that it carried out a drill aimed at preparing the military for war in the north, the Times of Israel newspaper reported. 

The drill, led by the Operations Division, involved all the army commands, wings and directorates, as well as the General Staff, according to the newspaper.

“The purpose of the exercise was to strengthen the (army’s) readiness for various scenarios in the northern arena,” it quoted a military statement as saying.

Tension has flared along the border between Lebanon and Israel amid intermittent exchanges of weapons fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, in the deadliest clashes since the two sides fought a full-scale war in 2006.

The Israeli-Lebanese escalation comes amid an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 32,500 Palestinians following an attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, on Oct. 7.

More than 300 people are estimated to have been killed in Lebanon, including at least 247 Hezbollah fighters, since clashes erupted in October.

Nearly 20 Israelis have been killed, according to Israeli figures.



*Writing by Mohammad Sio