Retired Israeli Major-General Itzhak Brik says potential escalation with Lebanon’s Hezbollah in the north of the country may lead to “a full-scale regional war and the destruction of our country”, Al Jazeera reports.

He told the Maariv newspaper those who seek revenge after the attack on the occupied Golan Heights may drag Israel further into the war with Hezbollah, with rockets targeting residences, power plants, gas platforms, army bases and factories.

“As a result, Israel will suffer very heavy losses and the country will be destroyed. We need an immediate end to the war in Gaza, which in no way leads to the end of Hamas,” said Brik.

“As long as the war in Gaza continues, it is only a matter of time before a full-scale regional war breaks out. We can respond to Hezbollah without setting the entire Middle East on fire.”