Israel warns it can return Lebanon to ‘Stone Age’

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned during a visit to Washington that Israel’s military is capable of taking Lebanon “back to the Stone Age” in any war with Hezbollah militants but insisted his government prefers a diplomatic solution on the Israel-Lebanon border.

Speaking to reporters, Gallant also said he discussed with senior U.S. officials his “day after” proposals for governance of post-war Gaza that would include local Palestinians, regional partners and the U.S., but that it would be “a long and complex process.”

Cross-border strains between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah have been escalating in recent weeks, stoking fears of an all-out Israel-Hezbollah war.

More than eight months of cross-border fire between the two sides have left at least 481 people dead in Lebanon, mostly fighters, but also including 94 civilians, according to an AFP tally.