Amid Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip since October 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to turn Beirut and southern Lebanon into Gaza and Khan Yunis if Hezbollah goes for an all-out war against Israel.
Netanyahu’s warning came during a field tour he conducted at Israeli army sites in the northern region, on Thursday, December 7.
Netanyahu said, “I am here with the reservists who are showing a tremendous spirit of readiness to fight, to complete the mission, to restore security – not only in the south but also in the north. This is our commitment.”
He continued, “I suggest to our enemies that they pay attention to this spirit because if Hezbollah chooses to start an all-out war, it will turn Beirut and southern Lebanon, not far from here, into Gaza and Khan Yunis. We are determined to achieve victory, and we will do so with your help.”
The Lebanese-Israeli border has been the scene of a heated exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel since the declaration of war against the Hamas movement on October 7.
The confrontations have killed 143 on the Lebanese side, including 98 Hezbollah members, a Lebanese army soldier, one member of the Amal Movement, 16 members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and 27 civilians, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The war resulted in massive destruction of buildings and infrastructure, the killing of 17,487 people, and the injury of more than 46,000 others in the Gaza Strip, the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said Friday, December 8.
