JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Minister Israel Katz warned Wednesday that Hezbollah would face a severe military blow and lose additional territory in southern Lebanon if it joins Iran in an attack on Israel, with the areas of Nabatieh and the Litani River becoming part of Israel’s permanent security zone.

Speaking during a visit to the IDF’s buffer zone in southern Lebanon, Katz said the military is prepared to carry out a ground offensive. He added that Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, “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,” Katz said, referring to the late and current leaders of the Iran-backed militant group.

The comments came the morning after Katz told an event that Israel is identifying attempts by enemies, led by Iran and its proxies, to carry out attacks intended to influence the results of Israel’s Oct. 27 election.

Israel has maintained a security zone in southern Lebanon amid ongoing hostilities with Hezbollah. Katz has previously stated that the IDF will not withdraw from the area until the group is disarmed and threats to northern Israeli communities are removed. His latest remarks expand on that position, tying any deeper Israeli advance and large-scale population displacement in Lebanon directly to Hezbollah’s potential participation in a broader Iranian assault.

Hezbollah has not immediately responded to the statements. The group has long been a key Iranian proxy and has engaged in cross-border fighting with Israel.

Katz, known for blunt public remarks, has increased such comments in recent weeks ahead of the election. Israeli officials have repeatedly linked operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon to broader efforts to counter Iranian influence in the region.