Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir are calling for a severe Israeli military response in Lebanon following a deadly overnight incident. Ben Gvir said on Friday: "For every tear of an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers should weep. All of Lebanon should burn," according to Israeli media.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir issued statements on Friday at 10:44 Jerusalem calling for a large-scale military response in Lebanon, following what sources described as a severe overnight incident in southern Lebanon. Ben Gvir, in remarks reported by N12, said: 'For every tear of an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers should weep. All of Lebanon should burn.' Smotrich also responded to the incident, according to the same report. The statements come as the details of the overnight event remain under a full news blackout.
This marks the second time Ben Gvir has issued such a call this morning. As The Zioneer reported on Friday at 09:56 Jerusalem, Ben Gvir first stated that 'all of Lebanon should burn' after the killing of Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon and three soldiers in southern Lebanon, and the wounding of a reserve officer and four NCOs in a separate Hezbollah drone attack. In a subsequent statement at 09:56, he added the remark about Israeli and Lebanese mothers. Smotrich now joins these calls, having previously urged a massive Lebanon response over tit-for-tat strikes with Iran on June 8 (The Zioneer, Mon Jun 8, 12:33 Jerusalem). The thread reveals an escalating rhetorical posture: from Ben Gvir's initial 'burn' statement, to amplifying emotive language, to Smotrich's endorsement.
The broader context includes several recent calls for a harsher Israeli posture on the northern front. As The Zioneer reported on June 14, Ben Gvir demanded an aggressive deterrent response to drone incursions. On June 16, commentator Amit Segal argued Israel should not retreat. On June 17, a severe incident was reported under a news blackout, consistent with the current one. Former PM Bennett on June 8 warned against a symbolic response.
The precise nature of the overnight incident and its casualty figures remain under embargo, pending official confirmation. It is also unclear whether the Prime Minister or security cabinet will adopt the calls for a large-scale response.
5 developments
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