"Israel" has failed to eliminate Hezbollah’s short-range rockets, which continue to target northern occupied Palestine, hampering Israeli attempts to secure the region and allow settlers to return to their settlements, US officials indicated as reported by The New York Times.

The report notes that as long as the rocket attacks persist, "Israel's" attempted invasion of Lebanon cannot achieve its primary objective of securing northern "Israel".

The report further highlights that this ongoing threat has increased pressure on the Israeli occupation government to consider a ceasefire or at least temporarily halt the war on Lebanon.

Additionally, US officials, cited in the report, mention that Hezbollah has not yet fully deployed an estimated 20,000 to 40,000 of its fighters, raising concerns that the Resistance may be preparing for a prolonged war of attrition, particularly in South Lebanon.

In light of these developments, The New York Times report indicates that US intelligence agencies assess that a ceasefire agreement is the most viable option for allowing Israeli settlers to return to their settlements close to the Lebanese border.

Israeli settlers have clearly noted time and time again that they will not return to the northern settlements without complete security, which translates to defeating Hezbollah militarily and ending its ability to target the settlements.

Overwhelming majority of Israelis say return to north impossible: INSS

A percentage of 82.5 Israelis believe that the current security situation prevents the return of settlers to northern occupied Palestine, the Israeli Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) revealed.

Additionally, 45% believe that "Israel" should strongly work toward reaching a ceasefire deal with Lebanon to guarantee the occupation's security needs. Meanwhile, 24% of Israelis have contemplated moving abroad, while only 29% said that they would encourage their children to enlist in the Israeli occupation forces. 

Regarding the ceasefire, 86% doubt that Russia would consider "Israel's" security interests if it played a vital role in establishing an agreement with Lebanon. 

In this context, Moshe Davidovich, head of the Front Line Settlements Forum in northern occupied Palestine, previously described "a bizarre state of calm mixed with extreme panic" caused by the intensity of rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon over the past three days.

Davidovich told Israeli Channel 12 that this morning "began with a drone attack, and this has now become routine," noting that "as the days go by, Hezbollah's pressure continues to intensify."

He continued, "We want to bring the settlers back to the north, but calm must be restored first, which has not happened yet and is still a long way off," adding that "the situation remains very sensitive, with tensions running extremely high."

Reminder: Sayyed Nasrallah challenges Netanyahu to return settlers to North