Israel has re-equipped 97 rapid response units on its northern border as a diplomatic solution to resolve the conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah looks ever more elusive.

The joint Israel Ministry of Defense (IMoD) and the Israel Defence Forces operation has seen the procurement of over 9,000 cutting-edge Arad rifles at a cost of $13.5m.

The rifles, developed and manufactured in Israel, now bolster the 5,000 Arad rifles previously acquired at the onset of the current war.

Security forces in communities around Israel's north, where 60,000 residents have been displaced since October 8 saw Hezbollah engage in almost daily barrages in alliance with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza, have also been bolstered.

Each unit has been outfitted with combat and rescue gear, medical supplies, uniforms, and protective equipment.

In the operation's second phase, communities in the Golan Heights on the Syrian border will be next, seeing a total of 120 rapid response units in northern Israel being re-equipped amid the Gaza war.

Since the Hamas invasion of October 7, Iran's largest proxy, Hezbollah, has sent over 6,000 projectiles towards Israel. Proxies in countries including Syria, Yemen and Iraq have also been acting in allegiance with Hamas in Gaza as they surround the Jewish state.

The Director General of the Israel Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Eyal Zamir said the initiative "is part of our policy to bolster border defense while enhancing self-reliant production capabilities" as the threats from north to south continue unabated.

"After rearming the communities on the Gaza border, we are now completing the re-equipment of approximately 100 units in the north with advanced weaponry," he said.

The latest operation brings together the Northern Command, the Home Front Command, and the Ground Forces, as well as multiple departments within the Ministry of Defense.