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21-05-2024, 05:21 PM
20 May, 2024. As cross-border fighting escalates, far-right Israeli ministers are urging a full-scale war with Hezbollah. Ben-Gvir, Smotrich call for invasion of south Lebanon to 'destroy' Hezbollah.
Extremist Israeli ministers have called on their military to invade & occupy south Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah armed group, as cross-border fighting escalates. (Mon) Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Israel should storm Lebanon & "destroy Hezbollah in its entirety." Ben-Gvir echoed similar threats made a day earlier by Israel’s finance minister, agreed with Bezalel Smotrich’s call to forcefully push Hezbollah away from border & set up a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, such a plan "wouldn’t be enough."
"We would need to do another thing — and that’s a war that would destroy our enemies," Ben-Gvir said about Hezbollah.
"Even if they’re pushed back from the border, even if there’s a security zone, even if they move a bit — you can’t just leave people behind whose entire purpose and essence is to destroy the State of Israel," the far-right minister said.
"What they don’t do in six months they will do in a year, and what they don’t do in a year they will do in two," he added. "We must not leave this to our children. Not in south [Gaza Strip] & not in the north [Lebanon]." During a Sunday meeting of his extremist Religious Zionism party in northern Israel, Smotrich said a public ultimatum must be issued to Hezbollah to completely stop firing missiles & drones at Israel and withdraw all forces beyond Lebanon’s Litani River.
"If ultimatum is not fully met, IDF (Israeli military) will launch assault deep in Lebanese territory to defend northern communities, including ground entry & Israeli military takeover of the southern Lebanese area," warned Smotrich, who also serves in the Israeli defence ministry.
Since October 8 last year, Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah Shia has traded fire into Israeli military, resulting in deaths of over 300 people in Lebanon – mostly fighters & over a dozen Israelis.
Hezbollah says is to distraction tactic aimed at Israel’s attention away from war-battered Gaza Strip, where over 35,000 people have been killed by Israeli offensive.
Extremist Israeli ministers have called on their military to invade & occupy south Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah armed group, as cross-border fighting escalates. (Mon) Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Israel should storm Lebanon & "destroy Hezbollah in its entirety." Ben-Gvir echoed similar threats made a day earlier by Israel’s finance minister, agreed with Bezalel Smotrich’s call to forcefully push Hezbollah away from border & set up a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, such a plan "wouldn’t be enough."
"We would need to do another thing — and that’s a war that would destroy our enemies," Ben-Gvir said about Hezbollah.
"Even if they’re pushed back from the border, even if there’s a security zone, even if they move a bit — you can’t just leave people behind whose entire purpose and essence is to destroy the State of Israel," the far-right minister said.
"What they don’t do in six months they will do in a year, and what they don’t do in a year they will do in two," he added. "We must not leave this to our children. Not in south [Gaza Strip] & not in the north [Lebanon]." During a Sunday meeting of his extremist Religious Zionism party in northern Israel, Smotrich said a public ultimatum must be issued to Hezbollah to completely stop firing missiles & drones at Israel and withdraw all forces beyond Lebanon’s Litani River.
"If ultimatum is not fully met, IDF (Israeli military) will launch assault deep in Lebanese territory to defend northern communities, including ground entry & Israeli military takeover of the southern Lebanese area," warned Smotrich, who also serves in the Israeli defence ministry.
Since October 8 last year, Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah Shia has traded fire into Israeli military, resulting in deaths of over 300 people in Lebanon – mostly fighters & over a dozen Israelis.
Hezbollah says is to distraction tactic aimed at Israel’s attention away from war-battered Gaza Strip, where over 35,000 people have been killed by Israeli offensive.
