Brigadier-General Ronan Manelis has told the Maariv newspaper that if Israel sends ground troops into Lebanon, it will be fulfilling the “biggest dream” of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Al Jazeera reports.

“We are trying to push Nasrallah to raise the white flag, which is probably not characteristic of him,” he said, adding that the belief that the conflict will end quicker if Israel exercises maximum force is a fundamental mistake.