Israel’s Katz vows to strike Beirut’s southern suburbs over any rocket or drone fire

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Tuesday that any rocket or drone fire targeting Israel would prompt strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs.

In a post on the US social media platform X, Katz said Israel could expand its occupation toward the Nabatieh and Litani areas if Lebanon’s Hezbollah group joined an Iranian attack. He warned that residents of any newly seized territory would be evacuated and the areas permanently incorporated into what Israel calls its security zone in Lebanon.

Katz also ruled out an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah was disarmed throughout the country.

In an acknowledgment of the scale of destruction, Katz said Israeli forces had demolished more than 60 Lebanese villages containing 23,000 homes, claiming they had been used by Hezbollah for military purposes. He further claimed that Israel had established a 700-square-kilometre security zone inside Lebanon and displaced around 200,000 residents.

Read: Peace in southern Lebanon remains ‘elusive’: UN mission

His remarks came as Lebanese and Israeli military delegations held United States-mediated talks at the US Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida on Tuesday.

Israel has carried out attacks on Lebanon since March 2, killing and injuring thousands of people and displacing over 1.5 million residents.

On June 26, Lebanon and Israel signed a US-sponsored framework agreement providing 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.