Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned that Israel could seize additional territory in southern Lebanon if Hezbollah joins Iran in an attack against Israel.

Katz, who is known for his blunt public statements, has made increasingly forceful remarks in recent weeks as Israel approaches its October 27 election.

“If Hezbollah joins Iran in an attack on Israel, it will be dealt a heavy blow and lose additional territory in southern Lebanon, in the areas of Nabatieh and the Litani, which will become part of Israel’s permanent security zone,” Katz says during a visit to the IDF’s buffer zone in southern Lebanon this morning.

Katz says the military is ready to launch a ground offensive if necessary. He warns that Dahiyeh, Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs, “will also be evacuated, and its terror infrastructure will be struck, and more than one million Shiites will become displaced in Lebanon.”

“Nasrallah destroyed Lebanon’s Shiite community before he was eliminated, and Naim Qassem could annihilate it completely, until he too is eliminated,” he adds.

Speaking at an event last night, Katz said that “we are identifying attempts by our enemies, led by Iran and its proxies, to carry out attacks that will influence the resultsof the election in Israel.”