Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Wednesday that Israel is prepared to expand its “permanent” security zone in south Lebanon, evacuate Beirut’s southern suburbs and displace more than one million Shiites in Lebanon if Hezbollah joins any Iranian attack on Israel.
“As the prime minister and I have made clear, we will not withdraw from the security zones,” said Katz during a visit to the occupied part of south Lebanon.
“If Hezbollah joins Iran in an attack on Israel, it will suffer a severe blow and lose additional territory in south Lebanon, in the areas of Nabatieh and the Litani River, which will become part of Israel’s permanent security zone. The IDF (Israeli army) is prepared to carry out the maneuver,” Katz threatened.
“The entire Shiite population up to the Awali and Zahrani rivers will be evacuated northward to enable a powerful strike against terrorist infrastructure in the area and push the drone threat away from northern Israeli communities,” he added.
He said that “Beirut’s Dahiyeh district will also be evacuated” and its “terrorist infrastructure” will be struck.
“More than one million Shiites will become displaced in Lebanon,” Katz cautioned.
Slain Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan “Nasrallah destroyed Lebanon’s Shiite community before he was eliminated, and (Hezbollah chief Sheikh) Naim Qassem could destroy it completely before he, too, is eliminated and sent to meet Nasrallah and his predecessor in the depths of hell,” Katz went on to say.