Katz threatens to seize Lebanese territories, and the occupation launches deadly raids on Beirut and the South

Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, announced today, Thursday, official directives to the army command to be fully prepared to expand the scope of military operations over Lebanese territories. These statements came in the context of a direct threat to seize geographical areas within Lebanon, under the pretext of stopping the rocket attacks carried out by Hezbollah towards northern settlements.

Katz confirmed in an official statement issued by him that, in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the army has been put on alert to carry out broader ground operations aimed at what he described as 'restoring security' to the border areas. The minister indicated that Israel will not be content with defense, but will move to the stage of imposing field control if threats from across the border continue.

In the context of political warnings, Katz sent a strongly worded message to the Lebanese government, demanding it impose its sovereignty and prevent Hezbollah from launching rockets. He warned that if the Lebanese state is unable to control its territories, Israeli forces will take on this task themselves through direct incursion and field control.

For its part, Hebrew media sources revealed that Tel Aviv conveyed threats through Western diplomatic channels and American mediation, hinting at bombing Lebanese government infrastructure. These pressures come in an attempt to push the government in Beirut towards taking strict measures to curb the military operations led by Hezbollah against Israeli targets.

On the ground, the occupation army admitted to being subjected to one of the largest rocket barrages since the escalation began, with Hezbollah launching about 200 rockets during Wednesday night and Thursday dawn. Military sources described this batch as 'the largest,' reflecting a qualitative escalation in the open military confrontation between the two sides along the Blue Line.

Regarding human casualties, Lebanese medical sources reported the martyrdom of 17 people and the injury of at least 32 others as a result of a series of airstrikes that targeted various areas. The intense Israeli strikes focused on the capital Beirut and its southern suburbs, in addition to towns in the South and the Beqaa in the eastern part of the country.

Al-Ramleh Al-Baida area in the heart of the capital Beirut witnessed a horrific massacre, where an Israeli raid led to the martyrdom of 8 citizens and the injury of 31 others with varying degrees of wounds. The raids also targeted the town of Aramoun south of Beirut, resulting in the martyrdom of 3 people, including children, as part of the occupation's targeting of densely populated residential areas.

In southern Lebanon, an occupation drone targeted a civilian car in the town of Deir Antar in the Bint Jbeil district, which led to the immediate martyrdom of one of the passengers. The town of Barish in the Tyre district was also subjected to a violent airstrike that killed 3 people, while search operations continued for missing persons under the rubble in several targeted sites.

The airstrikes extended to include the Beqaa region in eastern Lebanon, where warplanes targeted the towns of Qasr Naba, Duris, and Ain Bourdai in the vicinity of Baalbek city. Despite the intensity of the bombing and the destruction of a number of facilities and homes, there were no immediate reports of casualties in those areas, amidst a state of widespread displacement of residents.

In the Bint Jbeil district, the occupation intensified its raids on the towns of Yater, Haris, and Kafra, where warplanes carried out successive raids targeting residential neighborhoods and agricultural lands. These developments come amidst a deteriorating humanitarian situation, with the Lebanese Ministry of Health continuing to update the numbers of victims falling due to the continuous shelling around the clock.

I instructed the Israeli army to prepare to expand operations in Lebanon and to restore calm and security to the northern communities, and we will take control of territories ourselves if the Lebanese government does not prevent Hezbollah's threats.