Israeli officials are asking Washington to approve an expansion of the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) operations in the Lebanese capital Beirut, reports The Jerusalem Post.

Senior Israeli officials have appealed to senior US officials to allow the IDF to expand the strikes in Beirut, two sources told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.

According to the sources, Israeli officials are hopeful that, “given the lack of progress in both the negotiations between Washington and Tehran and the talks between Israel and Lebanon, the US response will be favorable.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the IDF would step up its operations in Lebanon. He said the military campaign would last longer, but Israel would restore security in the north.