Defence minister Yoav Gallant reportedly warned people in northern Israel that ‘next phase will begin soon’

Israel has threatened what could be an imminent ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon as it warned of the “next phase” in its fight against Hezbollah and declared parts of the north of the country a closed military zone.

As Israeli airstrikes continued to hit Lebanon, including central Beirut for the first time in nearly 20 years, the country’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, reportedly told community leaders in Israel’s north on Monday that the “next phase of the war against Hezbollah will begin soon”. It came as Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, warned Tehran it could strike anywhere in the region at will. “There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach,” he said in a video addressed to the Iranian people.