06:33 AM | 21 Apr 2026
Israel threatens: Dismantling Hezbollah is our goal... and Lebanon may face the fate of Rafah and Beit Hanoun
Fady Mahouly
Today, Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz renewed his threat to escalate operations against Hezbollah, stressing that “the ultimate goal is to dismantle the party,” and threatening that its Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, “will pay the price,” according to what was reported by the Hebrew newspaper “Yedioth Ahronoth.”
Katz pointed out that "the Israeli army is moving with full force, even during ceasefire periods, with the aim of protecting soldiers and preventing any threat coming from Lebanese territory."
Katz stressed that "Israel's commitment to the residents of the north is clear and is to achieve security," noting that "operations will continue against any shooting from the north of the Litani River and in various Lebanese regions."
In a direct threat, the Israeli Defense Minister said, “The fate of southern Lebanon may be similar to what happened in Rafah and Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip, if the Lebanese state does not move against Hezbollah.”