Israel declares ‘new phase’ in regional war as Lebanon blasts threaten wider conflict

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant ushered in what he called a “new phase” in the war with regional Islamist groups and said troops would be diverted to the Lebanese border, an indication that long-held fears of a wider conflict may soon be realised.

More military resources will be deployed to north of the country, where Israel has been exchanging rocket fire with Hezbollah militants for almost a year, Gallant told forces at the Ramat David airbase on Wednesday.

His comments came after waves of exploding telecommunications devices in Lebanon killed about 21 people over two days, attacks widely seen as an escalation by Israel, which did not confirm or deny responsibility for sabotaging pagers and walkie-talkies.

“The centre of gravity is moving north, meaning that we are allocating forces, resources and energy for the northern arena,” Gallant said. “We are at the start of a new phase in the war, and we must adapt.”

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