"Israel has no interest in a full-scale war with Lebanon, but there is a limit to patience. Either this [shelling] stops or we are forced to start a full-scale military operation," Halperin told a news briefing in Moscow.
The ambassador insisted that Lebanon uphold UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which called for the establishment of a demilitarized zone south of the Litani River.
"You know, metaphorically speaking, a soccer match lasts for 90 minutes. Now we're about 85 minutes in and giving one last chance to diplomacy," Halperin said.
Tensions on the Israeli-Lebanese border worsened after the start of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip in October. The Israeli army and Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah fire on each others positions almost daily in areas along the border.
The Israeli military said in June that it had approved plans for an offensive against Lebanon, while Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that Israel could launch an all-out war against the neighbor. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the group would invade northern Israel if the confrontation intensified.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that soldiers of an Israeli reserve brigade have practiced combat scenarios for potential military operations in Lebanon.
"This week, the 228th Reserve Brigade of the Northern Command completed a brigade-level exercise led by the Ground Forces Training Center. The troops practiced combat scenarios in Lebanon, including movement in thicketed terrain, advancing along mountainous routes, the activation of fire, evacuating wounded soldiers under fire, and logistical and communications support from headquarters," the IDF wrote on Telegram.
The brigade has been deployed along the Israeli-Lebanese border for the second time since the war in the Gaza Strip, the IDF added.
The situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border worsened after the start of Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The IDF and Hezbollah fighters target each other's positions almost daily in areas along the border.
The Israeli military said in June that it had approved plans for an offensive against Lebanon, while Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said that a full-scale war was a possibility. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the group would invade northern Israel if the confrontation intensified.