IDF approving Lebanon 'offensive' is step toward 'significant escalation' against Hezbollah, ex-official warns

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joins'The Story' to discuss what the U.S. can do to mitigate the threat Hezbollah poses to Israel. The Israel Defense Forces' announcement that it has approved plans for an "offensive in Lebanon" is "another step towards a significant escalation" against the terrorist group Hezbollah, a former IDF spokesperson tells Fox News Digital. The IDF released a photo this week showing a meeting of top generals discussing war strategy, noting that "as part of the situational assessment, operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field." "What this means is another step towards a significant escalation. The IDF has been preparing troops for combat scenarios in Lebanon for months and what it means that now it has also approved plans, strategic maneuver plans, of how to attack Hezbollah in Lebanon on the ground and of course in the air," Jonathan Conricus, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former IDF spokesman, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.