TEL AVIV, December 3. /TASS/. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that possible escalation on the Israeli-Lebanese border, provoked by of Lebanon’s Shiite movement, may result in the elimination of Lebanon.

"In the north, we are constantly active against Hezbollah’s efforts. We keep eliminating terrorist groups, pushing them farther away from the border and destroying their arsenals," he told reporters.

"We will restore security both in the north and the south. If Hezbollah makes the mistake of engaging in a full-out war, it will destroy Lebanon with its own hands," the Israeli premier warned.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 200 hostages, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. In response, Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, and has been delivering air strikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also underway in the West Bank.

Tensions remain high on Israel’s northern borders, with regular shelling attacks from the Lebanese territory. The Israeli military returns fire. According to the IDF, its strikes target Hezbollah infrastructure. Earlier, the Israeli government ordered civilians to evacuate from settlements located within five kilometers from the border with Lebanon.