The Israeli army on Tuesday said plans for an offensive in Lebanon were “approved and validated” amid escalating cross-border violence with Hezbollah and a relative lull in Gaza fighting. Israel’s war on Gaza has heightened tensions across the region, with Israeli forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah exchanging fire on a near-daily basis. “Operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated” as commanders met for a situational assessment, the army said in a statement. It came after Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz threatened Hezbollah’s destruction in a “total war”. The lat…