Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday evening that he instructed the IDF to prepare for a codenamed offensive in Iran, dubbed 'Operation White-Blue,' and warned that war with Iran could erupt at any moment, according to Nitzan Shapira (N12) and other Israeli reporters citing his briefing at the Kirya in Tel Aviv. Katz added that there are roughly 2,500 Hezbollah operatives between the Litani River and the Zahrani, and said the unification of fronts prevented a more significant operation against Hezbollah that would have brought about its practical collapse.
Defense Minister Israel Katz delivered a wide-ranging security briefing at the Kirya in Tel Aviv on Monday evening, during which he made his most explicit operational directive about Iran to date. According to multiple Israeli reporters present, Katz said he had given the IDF an order to prepare for a codenamed offensive dubbed 'Operation White-Blue' (Mivtza Kachol Lavan) in Iran. 'War with Iran could be tomorrow,' Katz said, adding that if Iran attacks, it would be 'Iran's third war.' Katz also referenced an alleged regime-change plan attributed to former Mossad chief David Barnea, saying 'there were external parties that were supposed to join and were not allowed to.' On the northern front, Katz detailed the extent of destruction in Lebanese border villages: approximately 100% of structures destroyed in the western sector and 73% in the eastern sector across 24 villages. He estimated 1,200 Hezbollah operatives remain between the Litani River and the border, and a further 1,300 up to the Zahrani River. Katz expressed regret that the unification of fronts prevented a more decisive operation against Hezbollah that would have brought about its practical collapse, and said plans for such an operation — including population evacuation and activity in the Bekaa Valley — remain on the table. He also assessed friction with Turkey in Syria is growing, with Turkish forces arming Syrians and potentially limiting Israeli air freedom of operation. Katz warned that the Houthis pose a greater threat than publicly presented. The briefing represents a significant ratcheting of rhetoric and operational posture against Iran, following earlier statements this month in which Katz said the campaign against Iran is 'far from over.'
6 developments
- DevelopingIsrael Katz warns Hezbollah: every attack on the north will draw a strike on Beirut's Dahiyeh
- DevelopingDefense Minister Katz repeats Dahiyeh deterrence warning to Hezbollah in social-media post
- StrongDefense Minister Katz: IDF ordered to prepare for 'Operation White-Blue' in Iran
- StrongNetanyahu confirms IDF strike on Hezbollah targets in Beirut's Dahiyeh
Source and signal
- Internal intake