00:19Tensions are rising once again on Israel's northern front, and this time, the controversy
00:25is not over a missile strike or a drone attack, but with words, words that critics say could
00:33inflame an already volatile region. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gavir
00:40is facing fierce backlash after calling for the complete destruction of Hezbollah's main
00:47stronghold in southern Beirut. We're here on the northern border in Shtula, and we're saying
00:53very, very clearly, we need to flatten Dahiya. Flatten Dahiya. I opposed the previous ceasefire.
01:01Today I'm also saying we must flatten it. The IDF is doing a job. There are 600 Hezbollah
01:07members that, thank God, have been eliminated in recent weeks, but that's not enough. What's
01:12happening to them is Dahiya. We need to go for Dahiya, flatten, flatten, and flatten again.
01:18Hezbollah in Dahiya, flatten Hezbollah in Dahiya, that's the message. I'm saying this here,
01:23and also saying this to our dear Prime Minister, dear Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, I love you
01:29and appreciate you, but now is the time to flatten Dahiya. We have respect for Trump. We
01:34need to say thank you to him. The comments, made during a cabinet meeting
01:38and later repeated publicly, have triggered outrage across Lebanon and beyond. Ben Gavir left
01:46little room for interpretation, declaring that Dahiya, the densely populated suburb, widely regarded as
01:54Hezbollah's political and military center, must be flattened, not once, but repeatedly.
02:01According to Ben Gavir, Israel's current strategy is not enough. He argued that only overwhelming force
02:09against Hezbollah's core infrastructure can restore deterrence and protect Israeli citizens.
02:16The remarks come after a series of Hezbollah drone attacks that have shaken Israeli security circles.
02:23Recent FPV drone strikes reportedly killed senior Israeli officers and destroyed military vehicles near the
02:32Lebanese border. For Ben Gavir, those attacks prove that Hezbollah remains capable of threatening Israel,
02:40despite months of military pressure. But the comments have sparked immediate condemnation.
02:47Lebanese officials, along with Hezbollah representatives, accused the Israeli minister of openly advocating
02:54collective punishment and inciting war crimes. Dahiya, while known as Hezbollah's main base of influence,
03:02is also home to hundreds of thousands of civilians. Apartment buildings, schools, hospitals,
03:10businesses and public infrastructure are spread throughout the district. Critics argue that calls to flatten an entire
03:17urban area go far beyond targeting military objectives and risk escalating an already fragile situation.
03:26The timing is particularly sensitive. A ceasefire remains in place along much of the
03:32Israel-Lebanon border. Major ground operations have largely paused, but low-level clashes,
03:40drone attacks and sporadic exchanges of fire continue. Diplomatic efforts, led in part by
03:47the United States, are focused on preventing another full-scale war. Then Gavir's comments appear to
03:54highlight growing divisions inside Israel's leadership. While some officials favor continued
04:00military pressure combined with diplomacy, others are demanding far more aggressive action.
04:07The far-right minister has repeatedly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for what he views as
04:15insufficient responses to Hezbollah attacks. And this is not the first controversy. Just days ago,
04:23Ben Gavir faced international criticism after posting footage showing detained flotilla activists
04:30kneeling with bound hands at Ashdod Port. The images sparked condemnation from multiple countries,
04:37and led several governments to summon Israeli ambassadors for explanations. Now, his latest remarks are
04:45generating another diplomatic storm. So far, the White House has not publicly responded, but reports
04:53suggest American officials have privately urged restraint, fearing that further escalation could undermine
05:00wider regional diplomacy, including sensitive talks involving Iran. The debate is growing louder.
05:08Was this political rhetoric aimed at projecting strength, or language that risks pushing the region
05:14closer to another devastating conflict?
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