Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel could take control of territory in Lebanon if the Lebanese government fails to stop Hezbollah attacks against Israeli communities.
Speaking during a security assessment with senior Israeli military officials, Katz said Hezbollah launched heavy rocket barrages toward Israel, prompting strong Israeli military responses targeting Hezbollah positions in Beirut’s southern suburbs (Dahiyeh) and other locations across Lebanon.
Katz stated that he had directly warned Lebanese President Joseph Aoun that Israel would act independently if the Lebanese government cannot prevent Hezbollah from operating and launching attacks from its territory.
“If the Lebanese government does not know how to control the territory and prevent Hezbollah from threatening northern communities and firing toward Israel, we will take the territory and do it ourselves,” Katz said.
The defense minister also said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have instructed the Israeli military to prepare for a potential expansion of operations in Lebanon, with the goal of restoring security to communities in northern Israel affected by rocket attacks.
The statement signals the possibility of wider Israeli ground operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah attacks continue.
