Hamas massacre 'just the start' as Israel braces for bloody Iran-backed Hezbollah attack

I'm reporting from near Israel’s flashpoint border with Lebanon, where I've witnessed massive troop build-up and warnings Hezbollah’s death squads will come.

Mirror's Chris interviews Lt Colonel Sarit Zehavi ( Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)

Northern Israel is bracing for a bloody Iran-backed Hezbollah attack amid escalating fears the Hamas massacre was “just the start.”

Close to Israel’s flashpoint northern border with Lebanon we saw a massive troop build-up and were warned Hezbollah’s death squads will come. On Wednesday as President Biden left Israel the entire northern frontier was desperately tense, with 5,000 “Radwan” Hezbollah commandos believed to be ready for attack on the other side.

A further 50,000 Hezbollah reservists are believed to be poised to join an appalling but coordinated assault across this beautiful valley if the invasion order is issued. Everybody we met saw the horrific October 7 Hamas massacres of innocent Israelis as a grisly prelude to a bigger, more evil Iranian plan of destruction.

But Israel is preparing for a war on two - maybe even more - fronts and is rushing troops and armour to the northern front, as it prepares to ground-attack Gaza in the south. We saw close to a squadron of Israeli Merkava main battle tanks secreted in a bushy area by the side of the road as we headed north to the border.