- Israel said it will not allow Iran to have military bases in Lebanon
- A minister said they will bomb the facilities if they are built
- He added that they will return Lebanon to the Stone Age
- Israel doesn't want a war, but will not accept a "Lebanese assault"
Israeli Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz Wednesday told London-based Saudi news site Elaph that Israel will not allow Iran to have military bases in Lebanon and threatened to bomb them, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
Katz said that Israel knew Iranian weapons factories were being built in Lebanon.
"We have information that Iran is building advanced missile plants in Lebanon, and I want to emphasize that we have drawn a new red line, and we will not allow them to do this at any cost,” Katz was quoted as saying. Katz reportedly threatened that Israel would bomb the plants.
“We will also act militarily and prevent them, as is happening in Syria,” he said.
"The more accurate that Hezbollah's missiles get, the stronger and wider Israel's strike will be. This time, all of Lebanon will be a target,” Katz said
“What happened in 2006 will be a picnic compared to what we can do. I remember a Saudi minister saying they will send Hezbollah back to their caves in south Lebanon. I am telling you that we will return Lebanon to the Stone Age,” he said in reference to the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon.
Katz said that “we don’t want war, and we have no interest in destroying Lebanon, but we will not accept a Lebanese assault on us.”
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Asked about whether the recent visit of the leader of an Iraqi militia to an area near the southern Lebanese border was a message for Israel, Katz reportedly responded that Iran doesn't need to send any messages because Israel already knows exactly what the Iranians are doing in the region, Haaretz reported.
Describing the possible steps that could be taken against Hezbollah in the future, Katz said he suggested Israel use military and economic routes to implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.
“I recently suggested to [Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu that we act militarily and economically to implement [UNSC 1701] that was adopted unanimously after the Second Lebanon War in 2006, ... apply sanctions on Hezbollah and Iran and that, under the leadership of the United States and with the consent of China and Russia, we intervene militarily if there is a need,” he said
“[Netanyahu] spoke about this with French President [Emmanuel] Macron and with the European Union. This is a decision that was taken unambiguously,” Katz said, “and instead of adopting new resolutions, we will invoke this to deprive Hezbollah of its weapons.”
“The Arab League considers Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization as does Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan,” Katz added. “The entire world [does.]”
This article has been adapted from its original source.
