Israel can do everything it has done in Gaza to Beirut: defence minister

Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant has warned Lebanese political party and militant outfit Hezbollah, saying they were dragging Lebanon into a probable war, and that "Israel can do everything it has done in Gaza to (the Lebanese capital of) Beirut".

Gallant was responding to Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasarallah's warning to Israel against its reactions in Lebanese territories. 

Addressing soldiers alongside the commander of the Israeli Defence Forces' 91 division and other senior officers serving in the region, the Israeli defence minister said Hezbollah was no longer simply offering provocation, but also indulging in aggression. 

He cited the examples of several exchanges of fire along the border injuring people and soldiers on the Israeli side and added that the Israeli Defense Forces would not remain a mute spectator to this. 

Gallant said: "Our pilots are sitting in the cockpits and their aircraft are facing North. We have not used 10 per cent of our air force's power in Gaza." 

Nasaralleh had also said Israeli occupation forces were making grave mistakes by trying to attack Lebanon and added that all their attempts would fail. 

On 7 and 8 November, Israeli aircraft carried out attacks across the northern border and near Biranit in Lebanon.

Israel has already warned the Hezbollah not to interfere in its ongoing conflict with Islamic militant group Hamas after the 7 October Hamas attacks on a rave party in Israel, in which Israel claims 1,400 people were killed.

In an October interview with the Daily Mail, Israel's economy minister Nir Barka had warned that the country would “eliminate Hezbollah and Iran” if they followed through on threats to throw their military support behind Hamas.

“The plan of Iran is to attack Israel on all fronts. If we find they intend to target Israel, we will not just retaliate to those fronts, but we will go to the head of the snake, which is Iran,” Barkat told the Daily Mail.

Since the 7 October Hamas attacks, there has been intermittent exchange of fire across the border between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. Hezbollah, which wields considerable power in Lebanon, is designated as a terror organisation by the US, UK and other countries.