Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Tuesday that any rocket or drone fire targeting Israel would prompt strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Writing on the social media platform X, Katz stated that Israel could expand its occupation toward the Nabatieh and Litani areas if Hezbollah joined an Iranian attack. He warned that residents of any newly seized territory would be evacuated. Those areas would then be permanently incorporated into what Israel terms its security zone in Lebanon.
Katz also ruled out an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah was disarmed throughout the country.
Katz said Israeli forces had demolished more than 60 Lebanese villages containing 23,000 homes. He claimed those locations had been used by Hezbollah for military purposes.
He claimed that Israel had established a 700-square-kilometer security zone inside Lebanon. The military operations have displaced around 200,000 residents.
His remarks came as Lebanese and Israeli military delegations held United States-mediated talks at the United States Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday.
Israel has carried out attacks on Lebanon since 2 March, killing and injuring thousands of people. The conflict has also displaced over 1.5 million residents.
On 26 June, Lebanon and Israel signed a United States-sponsored framework agreement. The pact provided for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the deployment of the Lebanese army, and the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Despite the agreement, Israel has continued its attacks on southern Lebanon. Israeli forces also continue to occupy Lebanese territory, including areas held for decades and others seized during more recent wars and military operations.
