Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, widely known for incendiary rhetoric and controversial positions on Palestinians, warned Thursday that a southern suburb of Lebanon's capital, Beirut, could face devastation similar to the Gaza Strip after the Israeli military urged residents to evacuate the area.
"Very soon Dahiyeh will resemble Khan Yunis," Smotrich said, referring to a southern Gaza city which has been heavily damaged by Israeli bombardments.
"Hezbollah made a mistake, and it will pay a heavy price. We are striking at the head of the octopus in Iran, and at the same time we will sever Hezbollah's arm," he said in a video statement as he visited Israel's northern border.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war Monday, when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during U.S.-Israeli strikes over the weekend.
Lebanon's state-run NNA reported several strikes early Thursday, including two in the Hezbollah stronghold of south Beirut, where AFPTV footage showed smoke rising.
Israel's military earlier demanded residents leave the suburbs where the strikes were reported, warning it was about to attack targets it said were linked to Hezbollah. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
