The Israeli military has said operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were “approved and validated”, as Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement engaged in cross-border exchanges of fire, AFP reports.

Senior Israeli military officials “held a joint situational assessment in the Northern Command. As part of the situational assessment, operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated”, the military said in a statement.

“Decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field.”

The sign-off came as Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz earlier warned Hezbollah that it would be destroyed in the event of a “total war” between the two.

“We are very close to the moment when we will decide to change the rules of the game against Hezbollah and Lebanon. In a total war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be hit hard,” Katz said, according to a statement from his office.