The Israeli army is preparing for a possible offensive against the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh as Tel Aviv intensifies military operations in southern Lebanon amid ongoing hostilities.

A senior Israeli military official told The Times of Israel on Thursday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) could soon expand its operations toward Nabatiyeh, depending on decisions made by Israel’s political leadership. The announcement came as a Hezbollah drone attack moderately wounded an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon.

The prospect of a push toward Nabatiyeh marks a significant escalation in Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah, which has intensified in recent weeks amid growing frustration in northern Israel over continued rocket and drone attacks on border communities.

According to the official, the IDF’s 36th Division has advanced deeper into southern Lebanon and is now operating on the outskirts of Arnoun, a village located just a few kilometers from Nabatiyeh.

The officer said Israeli forces carried out a series of covert operations along the Litani River before the advance. As part of those preparations, troops reportedly constructed a new bridge across the river in a valley that was not under Hezbollah surveillance, allowing armored vehicles to cross and move northward without detection.

Nabatiyeh lies northwest of the Beaufort Castle area, which Israeli forces reoccupied late last month after withdrawing from the site 26 years ago.

The military official said Israeli commanders are weighing several options for the next phase of operations. One possibility would involve advancing farther north into Nabatiyeh, while another would focus on moving west and continuing operations along the Litani River.

“Hezbollah is retreating, but it is holding on to the Nabatiyeh line, where it really wants to prevent our occupation,” the official said, adding that either course of action would be aimed at further degrading the group’s military capabilities.

Separately, the Israeli military said it recently conducted an operation in the Wadi Saluki area that was intended to divert Hezbollah’s attention and catch the group off guard.

In a statement, the IDF said troops had established what it described as “operational control” over the Wadi Saluki region, located roughly 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Israeli border.

The military said forces from the 7th Armored Brigade and the Egoz Commando Unit completed an operation to secure and clear areas north of the Saluki stream of Hezbollah infrastructure.

According to the IDF, the operation forms part of broader efforts to strengthen Israeli control in southern Lebanon and remove threats to communities in northern Israel, including those in the Galilee Panhandle and the border town of Metula.

The military said Hezbollah had used the Wadi Saluki area as a base for launching explosive drones and conducting rocket attacks against Israeli troops operating nearby.

During the operation, Israeli ground forces and the air force struck what the military described as hundreds of Hezbollah targets and killed more than 50 Hezbollah members. Troops also seized weapons, including anti-tank missiles and explosives, according to the statement.

Despite those gains, the senior Israeli officer acknowledged that Hezbollah’s drone capabilities remain one of the military’s primary challenges.

However, he said the number of successful drone attacks against Israeli forces had declined in recent days.

“We have introduced ammunition that should make this easier and we have good interception rates,” the official said.

He also revealed that Israeli troops had discovered fiber-optic cable-guided first-person-view (FPV) drones equipped with large cable spools, allowing them to operate at ranges of between 15 and 20 kilometers (9 to 12 miles).