U.S. officials have indicated that Israel has focused its potential response to Iran’s recent attack on military and energy infrastructure, as reported by NBC on Saturday. The situation in the Middle East remains tense, with heightened concerns over further escalation amid ongoing conflicts involving Israel, Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas in Gaza.

Israel has consistently stated its intention to retaliate against Iran’s missile strikes on October 1, which were a response to Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the deaths of several Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

According to the NBC report, there are no signs that Israel plans to target nuclear facilities or conduct assassinations, based on information from unnamed U.S. officials. It was also noted that Israel has yet to finalize its plans regarding the timing and nature of its response. U.S. and Israeli officials suggested that a reaction could occur during the ongoing Yom Kippur holiday.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began a year ago when Hezbollah initiated rocket attacks on northern Israel coinciding with the onset of the Gaza war, and tensions have significantly intensified in recent weeks.

Hezbollah announced on Sunday that it is engaged in combat with Israeli forces attempting to penetrate the village of Ramya in southern Lebanon. In response, the Israeli military stated that it is actively conducting operations in southern Lebanon aimed at dismantling what it describes as “terrorist infrastructure.”

According to the Israeli Air Force (IAF), approximately 200 Hezbollah targets have been struck over the past day, including terrorist cells, missile launchers, and anti-tank positions throughout southern Lebanon. Additionally, the IAF reported intercepting five projectiles that originated from Lebanon.

In recent weeks, Israel has escalated its military actions, targeting southern Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut, and the Bekaa Valley. This campaign has resulted in the deaths of numerous high-ranking Hezbollah leaders and the deployment of ground troops across the border. In retaliation, Hezbollah has launched rockets further into Israeli territory.

The intensified military operations have led to the displacement of over 1.2 million individuals, as reported by the Lebanese government, which also states that more than 2,100 people have lost their lives and around 10,000 have been injured during more than a year of conflict. This casualty figure does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but includes many women and children.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin conveyed significant concern during a conversation with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Saturday regarding reports of Israeli forces targeting U.N. peacekeeping positions in Lebanon in recent days. He urged Israel to prioritize the safety of these peacekeepers and the Lebanese military, as stated by the Pentagon.

According to the U.N. peacekeeping mission UNIFIL, five peacekeepers have sustained injuries in three distinct incidents since Thursday.

The ongoing conflict in the region, which involves various militant groups allied with Tehran, including Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, and armed factions in Iraq, has heightened fears of a potential full-scale conflict between the United States and Iran in the oil-rich Middle East.

On Sunday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced it had conducted drone strikes on a military site in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, framing this action as part of its support for the Palestinian people and Lebanon. The group indicated its intention to escalate attacks against Israeli positions.

The conflict in Gaza erupted following a Hamas-led assault on October 7, 2023, targeting southern Israeli communities, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and approximately 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources.

Israel’s military operations in Gaza, aimed at dismantling Hamas, have reportedly resulted in over 42,000 Palestinian fatalities, as per Gaza’s health ministry, and have devastated the region.