The Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, issued one of the strongest warnings since the beginning of the current escalation on the northern front, stating that the southern suburbs of Beirut controlled by Hezbollah could face a military campaign similar to what Israeli communities near the border have suffered if rocket and drone attacks against Israeli territory continue.
During the Annual Defense Exports Conference, which brought together top officials from the Ministry of Defense and executives from the Israeli military industry, Katz explained that Israel had so far moderated its operations in the Lebanese capital at the request of the United States.
According to the minister, Washington requested to avoid large-scale attacks against Hezbollah's stronghold in the Shiite suburb of Dahieh while U.S. negotiations with Iran were ongoing. “At the request of the United States, the Israel Defense Forces refrained from carrying out powerful attacks against Beirut until yesterday, except for targeted eliminations”, he stated.
However, Katz indicated that this policy has begun to change. He revealed that, along with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he approved a plan coordinated with the Israel Defense Forces aimed at establishing a new strategic equation: “The fate of Dahieh will be the same as that of the communities in northern Israel”.
