Israel's defense chief warns Hezbollah of territorial loss if it joins Iranian strike

Israel's defense minister, Israel Katz, cautioned that Hezbollah would suffer a major setback and lose additional areas in southern Lebanon, specifically around Nabatieh and the Litani River, should it join an Iranian offensive against Israel. He asserted that the Israel Defense Forces are prepared to carry out the operation and that the entire Shi'ite population up to the Awali and Zahrani rivers would be evacuated northward, potentially displacing more than one million people.

Katz also announced that the Dahiyeh district in Beirut would be cleared and its terrorist infrastructure targeted. He warned that Hezbollah's current leader, Naim Qassem, could face the same outcome as former leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was eliminated after destroying Lebanon's Shi'ite community. The statements were made during Katz's visit to Lebanon, underscoring heightened tensions in the region.