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Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has issued an incendiary statement calling for extreme military escalation following the reported deaths of four Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, describing the situation in highly inflammatory terms.
“All of Lebanon must burn,” Ben Gvir said in a statement on Friday, reacting to the announcement of Israeli military casualties in the country. He framed the response as a matter of national deterrence, arguing that Israel should not be constrained by international pressure.
“With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not up for bargaining. All of Lebanon must burn,” he said, doubling down on his position.
He added: “For every tear shed by an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep,” and further warned, “In the Near East, you don’t win with measured responses and restraint.”
The comments come at a sensitive moment following a US-Iran agreement aimed at ending the wider Middle East conflict. The deal was also intended to halt hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group operating in Lebanon. However, Washington has reportedly expressed frustration at continued Israeli military operations in the area.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also adopted an aggressive tone, calling for intensified military action. Israel, he said, must “go wild. Eradicate. Defeat terrorism,” adding: “We must let fire speak and open the gates of hell,” without directly naming Lebanon.
The political fallout inside Israel is intensifying, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing mounting pressure ahead of elections expected by the end of October, and critics questioning his handling of security and international diplomacy.
A poll published by Maariv on Friday indicated that 63 per cent of Israelis are “worried” about the country’s future following the US-Iran agreement, reflecting growing public anxiety over the regional security landscape.
Opposition figure Avigdor Lieberman also called for a decisive response, urging a “heavy price” to be exacted in Lebanon “from which the other side will never recover.”
He further argued on X that if Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, remain intact, it would represent “a direct failure” of Israel’s leadership.
