Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the war was entering a new stage on Wednesday.

"The center of gravity is moving northward. Resources are being allocated (to this front)," Gallant said in remarks at an air force base.

"We are opening a new phase in the war — it requires courage, determination and perseverance from us," he said.

Gallant did not explicitly mention the deadly wave of communicative device explosions that rocked Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday but praised the work of the Israeli military and security agencies, saying, "The results are very impressive."

The comments come a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that returning residents who had been evacuated from northern Israel was now a war goal.

Israel and the Hezbollah militant group have traded nearly daily fire since Hamas launched its October 7 attack on Israel.

Hezbollah officials have said that the fighting will stop if a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is reached.