Hezbollah recently received instructions from Iran to raise its military readiness to advanced levels in preparation for a regional confrontation that Tehran believes is imminent.
The warnings come as Hezbollah prepares for the possibility of another confrontation with Israel and works to rebuild military capabilities damaged during previous rounds of fighting.
'If, God forbid, our forces are harmed, those who will pay the heavy price will be Hamas and the population of Gaza, beyond all proportion,' Katz warned.
He was murdered in a terrorist shooting on Sunday morning at the Ein Raya spring, where he had gone with his eldest son, Yoav, 16, to immerse ahead of Yom Kippur.
Many miraculous events occurred during the Yom Kippur War. As in the Chanukah story, the People of Israel were victorious despite seemingly insurmountable odds.
Tank 3 and its crew became one of the most recognizable images of the Oct. 7 massacre after footage showed Hamas terrorists surrounding the burning tank and abducting its soldiers into Gaza.
Ali al-Taher Ridge sits roughly 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from the Israeli border, meaning that control over it 'grants a significant advantage for observation and fire control in the Southern Lebanon area.'
Before any entry into a structure, forces observe the building, fire on it with a tank, use shoulder-fired missiles against it and scan the interior with drones.
During the operation, the Israeli Air Force carried out precision strikes against several military targets in the area to eliminate threats to the forces on the ground.