London, Dec 28 (IANS): Israel's military will act to remove Hezbollah from the borders with Lebanon if its attacks continue, an Israeli minister has warned, a media report said.

Benny Gantz, minister without portfolio and member of Israel’s emergency war cabinet, said the military would intervene if militants do not stop firing on northern Israel, BBC reported.

Time for a diplomatic solution is running out, he said.

Meanwhile, the head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops are in "very high readiness" for more fighting in the north, BBC reported.

"Our first task is to restore security and the sense of security to the residents in the north, and this will take time," said Chief of General Staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, after conducting a "situational assessment".

Cross-border exchanges of fire have been escalating since Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel.

It has led to concerns the conflict in Gaza could become wider across the region.

"The situation on Israel's northern border demands change," Gantz told mediapersons on Wednesday night.

"The stopwatch for a diplomatic solution is running out. If the world and the Lebanese government don't act to prevent the firing on Israel's northern residents, and to distance Hezbollah from the border, the IDF will do it," he said.

Hezbollah - a Shia Muslim organisation - is designated a terrorist organisation by Western states, Israel, Gulf Arab countries and the Arab League, BBC reported.

Funded by Iran, it is one of the most heavily-armed, non-state military forces in the world, the report said.

In 2006, a full-blown war between Hezbollah and Israel was triggered after the former carried out a deadly cross-border raid, with Israeli troops invading southern Lebanon.