IDF Col. (Res.) Ronen Cohen told Liat Ron, "It's the first time Israel can't fight on two fronts. If we could, we would."
Tens of thousands of Israelis and Lebanese have fled villages on both sides of the frontier.
As per the report, Tehran gave the go-ahead amid fears that, after the IDF completes an invasion of Rafah, southern Lebanon "will be next."
Signs suggest Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is unraveling. Has emotion replaced rationality?
The Hezbollah leader warned during the speech that Israel would "pay in blood" for civilians killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting Hezbollah.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah may have assumed the war in Gaza would be short and the status quo restored after a ceasefire. But that isn't what happened.
The Hezbollah leader insisted that his movement's decision to launch attacks on Israel "stabilized the balance of deterrence and proved that Lebanon has a real deterrent power."
Initiated by Hezbollah at the behest of its paymaster, Iran, the true function of the cross-border skirmishes is to fulfill Iran’s desire to cause as much trouble in the Middle East as possible.
Israel failed to achieve even a semblance of victory, the Hezbollah leader added.
The Hezbollah leader addressed Israelis evacuated from northern Israel, saying that if they want to return home they should demand the war in Gaza end.