Western diplomatic sources say credible intelligence assessments indicate that the Israeli military is preparing large-scale, unprecedented airstrikes in Lebanon designed to trigger “the largest possible wave of displacement” from the south and the Bekaa Valley, Erem News reported.

The intelligence reports, shared discreetly among a limited circle of Western diplomatic missions operating in the region, suggest that Israel’s planned air campaign could hit vital Lebanese infrastructure that has never previously been targeted. According to the sources, potential targets include major power stations, the bridge leading to Rafic Hariri International Airport, and even the Port of Beirut.

The most alarming detail, the sources said, is that the intelligence points to a possible ground offensive that would extend beyond southern Lebanon into the Bekaa Valley.

The reports indicate that Israel’s planned airstrikes would aim to empty heavily Shiite areas of their residents, weakening Hezbollah’s social base and facilitating military “clearing” operations against the group’s presence.

The air campaign would also aim to cripple Lebanon’s infrastructure by striking energy facilities, transport links, and the port, worsening the country’s economic collapse and creating a new reality on the ground ahead of the December deadline for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

According to Western diplomatic sources, imposing this reality would pressure Lebanese authorities into accepting Israeli conditions, not only concerning Hezbollah’s military role but also regarding the buffer zone Israel seeks to establish inside Lebanese territory.

The intelligence warnings coincide with a leaked internal document revealing that the United Nations office in Lebanon has instructed all humanitarian agencies and partner organizations to immediately activate full emergency plans in anticipation of a potential wide-scale Israeli assault.

The UN document, based on a classified assessment by the organization’s Security and Intelligence Risk Analysis Unit, estimates that a major Israeli escalation could displace between 800,000 and one million people from the south, the Bekaa, and Beirut’s southern suburbs within the first few weeks alone.

Under these circumstances, the United Nations is not merely warning of a “potential” conflict; it is preparing as though a war is “inevitable,” while leaving room for diplomacy to avert escalation in the coming days.