Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has warned the UN that the Middle East could descend into a full-scale war if Hezbollah militants remain in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel, local media have reported.

Israel’s Channel 12 claimed that the diplomat issued the warning following weeks of sporadic shelling and skirmishes on the Israeli-Lebanese frontier. The clashes have intensified since the deadly incursion by Palestinian militant group Hamas into Israel on October 7.

Hezbollah says it has joined the militants in Gaza in their fight against Israel, but has thus far stopped short of launching a major offensive from Lebanon. The Shiite organization has long-standing ties to Iran, and is believed to be far better equipped and more formidable than the Palestinian groups operating in Gaza and the West Bank.

Reporting on Tuesday, Channel 12 claimed that Cohen had directed his warning to the UN Security Council, urging it to enforce Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The resolution also called for the disarmament and withdrawal of all irregular Lebanese armed groups, including Hezbollah, from south of the Litani River near the Israeli border.