Israel held off on major strikes in Beirut at the request of the United States on Monday, but will attack the Lebanese capital if Hezbollah continues firing at the Jewish state, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday. “There will no longer be a situation in which Beirut remains quiet while Israeli communities are under attack,” Katz declared in remarks the Defense Export Conference, according to a readout shared by his office. “Yesterday, the prime minister and I, together with the Israel Defense Forces, led a move to establish the equation that Dahiyeh in Beirut will be treated the same as Israel’s northern communities,” he said, referencing the Lebanese capital’s suburb where Iranian-backed Hezbollah maintains a large presence.
Katz said Jerusalem’s stance was reflected in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday night. “The IDF Spokesperson published an evacuation warning to Dahiyeh’s residents ahead of possible strikes, should attacks on Israeli communities continue,” he noted. “The immediate result was the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents from the district—600,000 out of 950,000 by last night—putting significant pressure on Hezbollah and the Lebanese government.” Katz said the Trump administration “endorsed the principle” set out by Jerusalem and warned the Lebanese government and other parties that the IDF could respond in Beirut.
“If attacks on the communities cease, or if attacks continue and we strike Dahiyeh in Beirut, then this equation will have been established,” he reiterated.Katz also emphasized that “there is no ceasefire” in Southern Lebanon, where IDF ground troops continue to work toward disarming Hezbollah. “IDF soldiers expanded the area of operations up to the Beaufort Castle, which has become a commanding position and part of the security zone, covering approximately 600 square kilometers,” he stated. “By comparison, the entire Gaza Strip is 365 square kilometers.” “As part of the new security doctrine, the IDF stands as a buffer between jihadist enemies and Israel’s borders and communities—in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and wherever else necessary—and acts proactively to remove threats in Iran, Yemen and wherever they may arise,” Katz concluded. (Read More)
