The Israeli military IDF is calling in reserves "for operational tasks" northwards. Only hours after the announcement, several statements were made that suggest an imminent ground offensive in Lebanon.
You can hear the battle plan, we're attacking all day. Prepare yourselves for the possibility of participating in a ground operation, but also for continued air strikes, says army chief Herzi Halevi to a regular brigade of armored troops.
We will continue to attack and harm them everywhere. To do so, we're preparing for a maneuver, and our feeling is that your military boots will enter enemy territory.
He concludes his speech to the soldiers with an appeal:
Go in and destroy the enemy there, and destroy their infrastructure.
Netanyahu: Full force
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a recorded speech that the country's soldiers have been ordered to stand ready to enter Lebanon, but doesn't go as far as Halevi.
We're striking Hezbollah with a force they never could have imagined. We're doing it with full force, he says and continues:
One thing I can promise you: we won't rest until they can return home, he says, referring to the tens of thousands of Israelis who have been forced to leave their homes in northern Israel due to fear of Hezbollah attacks.
Biden warns
US President Joe Biden, who on Tuesday demanded that Israel and Hezbollah cease the escalation of the fighting, warns of the risks of a widened war.
A full-scale war in the Middle East is a possible reality but not inevitable. I believe that the possibilities for an agreement are possible to achieve, he says to TV channel ABC.
During Wednesday night, Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets towards Israel, including a projectile that triggered air raid sirens in Tel Aviv and central Israel, the longest-range attack Hezbollah has managed during the past year's conflict. The rocket was shot down and caused no damage, according to IDF.
Over 50 killed during the day
In Lebanon, a total of at least 51 people were killed during Wednesday, and 220 were injured, according to Lebanese health authorities. Israel's air force claims to have struck 280 Hezbollah strongholds during the day.
More than 590 people have been killed in Israel's attacks on Lebanon since the dramatically escalated operation on Monday, according to a compilation from the Lebanese healthcare system.
