JERUSALEM (VINnews)-The head of Israel’s Northern Command warned Monday that the intensity of Israeli strikes against Hezbollah will increase following an overnight barrage of rockets and drones launched by the Iran-backed terror group from Lebanon.

Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo said the Israel Defense Forces have significantly reinforced troops along the northern border and in the region, with no plans to evacuate Israeli residents from the area.

“We are prepared in defense and offense,” Milo said in remarks published by the IDF.

In response to Hezbollah’s fire, the IDF immediately launched a broad wave of strikes targeting senior operatives, headquarters and terror infrastructure in Beirut and southern Lebanon, Milo said.

“We are also working to evacuate the population in southern Lebanon for its protection ahead of additional strikes,” he added. “The strikes continue, their intensity will increase.”

The comments come amid heightened tensions on Israel’s northern front, where a fragile ceasefire had held since the end of major fighting in late 2025. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the overnight attacks, which reportedly caused no casualties or significant damage in Israel, according to initial assessments.

Milo, who assumed command of the Northern Command in August 2025, emphasized readiness for both defensive and offensive operations as the military bolsters its posture along the Lebanon border.The IDF has conducted repeated targeted strikes in Lebanon in recent months to prevent Hezbollah from rearming or reorganizing near the border, but Monday’s exchange marks a notable escalation in scale and rhetoric.