Israeli military begins war games

The Israeli military has begun a five-day-long war game, which has raised regional tensions that the hawkish Tel Aviv regime is preparing for another war.

The military drills, called “Turning Point 4,” began on Sunday morning and will be conducted in 68 cities and towns.

“These types of exercises may determine the conflict’s outcome,” an unnamed Israeli defense official told the news outlet Ynet on Saturday.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri criticized the military exercises, saying that they ran counter to current Middle East peace efforts.

Meanwhile, the Hezbollah resistance movement has deployed thousands of its fighters in southern Lebanon in the event of any new attack on the country.

Israel waged wars on Lebanon in 2000 and 2006 and on both occasions was met with stern resistance from Hezbollah.

About 1,200 Lebanese, most of them civilians, were killed in the 2006 conflict, in which Israel faced a humiliating defeat and was forced to withdraw from Lebanon after 33 days without achieving any of its objectives.