JERUSALEM - Signs of a third full-blown war between Israel and the U.S.-designated terrorist movement, Hezbollah, which runs a state-within a state in Lebanon, are rapidly solidifying. Israel has fought two previous wars against terrorist forces embedded in Lebanon, in 1982 and 2006, and a third war appears to be looming. 

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) re-deployed its elite and battle-tested 98th Division from the southern war theater in Gaza against Hamas to the north, in a possible prelude to what some say could be a ground invasion to root out Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon.

IDF Reserve Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi told Fox News Digital, that war in the north against Hezbollah is around the corner. "A few weeks ago it was clear that due to the fact that Israel had destroyed most of Hamas' forces, Hamas does not pose a serious threat to Israel anymore. This was a moment to decide to change the strategy and move the center of gravity from the south to north." 

ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES CONFIRM 'TARGETED STRIKE' ON BEIRUT

The rapid-fire movements unfolding in Israel—a country the size of New Jersey—come amid the Jewish state’s foreign intelligence service, Mossad, allegedly detonating Hezbollah operatives’ electronic devices in a scene out of a John le Carré espionage novel. Hundreds of pagers used by Hezbollah members exploded on Tuesday, killing 12 people, including two children, and wounding some 2,800 others.

Another wave of electronic devices detonated on Wednesday, killing at least 25 and wounding more than 450. Hezbollah officials said the devices included walkie-talkies and solar equipment.

HEZBOLLAH BIGGER CHALLENGE THAN HAMAS TO ISRAEL: ‘CROWN JEWEL IN THE IRANIAN EMPIRE OF TERROR’

Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in heavy aerial warfare over the last 48 hours. Israel’s war cabinet declared the return of as many as 100,000 Israelis who were forced to flee the north because of Hezbollah attacks as a key war objective.

Avivi, who is the head of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, noted that there is no way to bring back the displaced Israelis safely to their homes in the north "without pushing Hezbollah out of south Lebanon and hitting Hezbollah hard—all of their capabilities all throughout Lebanon." 

He said the chances of securing a diplomatic solution are "extremely low due to lack of international pressure and unwillingness of the U.S. to pose a credible military threat against Iran and Hezbollah."

The United Nations has failed to enforce U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 that required Hezbollah to be disarmed after its 2006 war against the Jewish state. 

ISRAEL DEGRADES IRAN-BACKED HEZBOLLAH TERRORISTS IN SPECTACULAR PAGER EXPLOSION OPERATION: EXPERTS

In another devastating setback for Hezbollah, an IDF strike on Friday took out members of the elite Hezbollah Radwan force in Beirut.

IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani announced on Friday on X  that, "We eliminated Ibrahim Aqil earlier today in a precise strike in Beirut, Lebanon. At the time of the strike, Ibrahim Aqil, and the approx. 10 Radwan commanders who were eliminated with him, gathered underground—under a residential building in the heart of the Dahiyah neighborhood, hiding among Lebanese civilians—using them as human shields."

Aqil was a wanted global Islamist terrorist with the blood of American military personnel on his hands. He was wanted by the United States for his alleged role in the bombing of a U.S. Marines barracks in Beirut in 1983. He is also believed to be linked to the taking of American hostages in Lebanon during the 1980s.

Shoshani added "They were in the middle of planning more terror attacks against Israeli civilians. Terror attacks like the 200 rockets fired today at Israeli civilians and many more. These commanders also planned Hezbollah’s "Conquer the Galilee" attack plan, in which Hezbollah intended to infiltrate Israeli communities and murder innocent civilians."

Hezbollah attacked Israel on October 8—a day after its ally Hamas invaded Israel and slaughtered nearly 1,200 people. Hezbollah’s attacks have killed more than 40 people in Israel, including 12 Israeli Druze children on packed soccer field in July.

Jonathan Conricus, a former IDF spokesman told Fox News Digital "Had Israel wanted to launch a full-blown offensive against the Iranian proxy in Lebanon, it wouldn’t have waited more than 11 months to do so. The IDF is striking launchers and military infrastructure in Lebanon, after having delivered a stunning and demoralizing blow by causing communication devices to explode, in what perhaps is the last effort by Israel to apply pressure on Hezbollah to agree to a diplomatic deal that can prevent a war."

Conricus, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, added "If Hezbollah cares about the future of Lebanon, it would do right by withdrawing from the Israeli border and ceasing its aggression against Israel, and decouple its artificial connection with Hamas’ war against Israel. At the end of the day, the Israeli authorities are obliged to facilitate the safe return of evacuated Israelis to their homes, either by a diplomatic deal or by military action."

Rami Mortada, Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.K., told The Times of London that an Israeli invasion "is a doomsday scenario for everyone. It’s definitely a doomsday for Lebanon." He warned that Lebanon will not suffer alone in a fresh war.

Israeli war planners have spent 17 years since the last war against Hezbollah in 2006 preparing for the doomsday conflict in the north. 

Fox News' Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.

Election season is ramping up, with absentee voting beginning Saturday in seven more states – Delaware, Indiana, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Vermont.

That means voting is now underway in over a dozen states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Virginia. States starting their early voting Saturday are not competitive at the presidential level, but there are two competitive House races among them:

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes, and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Delaware.

Absentee voting is kicking off Saturday in Delaware, The Associated Press reports. Absentee ballots are available to all voters in the state of Delaware. Absentee ballots must be received by the Department of Elections Office of the voter's county by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Early in-person voting is available at designated sites in each county from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3.

Delaware residents can register to vote via writing, in-person, or through the state government's online portal. The voter registration deadline is the 4th Saturday before the election. 

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes, and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Indiana.

Indiana is beginning to send out absentee ballots to voters who have applied Saturday. To vote absentee by mail, the application must be received 12 days before Election Day by 11:59 p.m. 

Individuals who intend to cast absentee ballots by mail must have a reason to request a vote-by-mail ballot. These reasons include disability, reasonable expectation for absence from the county, work obligations and more. 

All senior citizens 65 years of age and older qualify for absentee vote-by-mail ballots.

In-person absentee voting is available to all for 28 days before the election, ending at noon on the day before Election Day. Additionally, in-person absentee voting is available on the two Saturdays immediately preceding the election.

Voter registration forms must be completed and returned to county registration offices on or before Oct. 7.

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes, and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for New Jersey.

Mail-in voting begins on Sept. 21 as ballots are mailed to voters who have applied with their county clerk.

Voters can cast ballots by mail if postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots must be received by the county Board of Elections on or before the sixth day after the polls close.

Voters will be able to cast an early ballot in-person from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3.

The voter registration deadline is Oct. 15.

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes, and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Oklahoma.

Any registered voter in Oklahoma is allowed to request an absentee ballot, until the deadline of Oct. 21. 

Absentee ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on the third Monday preceding the election (15 days).

Early voting is available to all Oklahoma voters and no excuse is needed. Voters can cast their ballots early from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2.

The voter registration is Oct. 11. Voters are able to register online, by mail, or in-person.

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes, and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Rhode Island.

Rhode Island voters who cannot or prefer not to cast their ballot at the polls on Election Day are allowed to vote by mail. Mail-in ballots can be requested online or via writing. Mail ballots must arrive by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Rhode Island voters can cast early ballots in-person during the 20 days leading up to Election Day, Oct. 16 to Nov. 4.

Voters must be registered 30 days before the election to cast their ballots in Rhode Island.

Same day registration is available, but such voters will only be able to cast ballots for president and vice-president, not down-ballot candidates.

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes, and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Texas.

Absentee ballots begin to be mailed in Tennessee by Sept. 21, according to the AP. To vote absentee in Tennessee requires an excuse.

In-person early voting runs from Oct. 16 to Oct. 31. 

The deadline for voter registration in Tennessee is Oct. 7.

This is a guide to registration and early voting. For comprehensive and up-to-date information on voter eligibility, processes, and deadlines, please go to Vote.gov and the election website for Vermont.

Absentee ballots begin to be sent to military and overseas voters on Sept. 21. Mailing of ballots to all active voters begins Sept. 23.

Early voters can apply for an early voter absentee ballot by telephone, in-person or in writing. Authorized family members may also apply on an individual's behalf.

Early voter absentee ballots must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Nov. 4.

Individuals in Vermont can register online, via paper application or at their local clerk's office.