Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has posted a video calling on Israel’s prime minister to “level the southern suburbs in Beirut to the ground” as Hezbollah heavily bombards northern Israel, Al Jazeera reports.

Posting on his Instagram account, Ben-Gvir said he opposed the previous ceasefire with Lebanon, calling for targeting the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital, where Hezbollah has a significant presence.

He addressed Israel’s leader directly in the video, saying: “Dear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, I love and appreciate you, but now is the time to level the suburbs to the ground. We have appreciation for Trump and we must say thank you for the partnership. But the red line is the harm to soldiers or civilians, and the suburbs must be levelled to the ground.”

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir takes part in a Cabinet meeting at the Kirya, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defence, in Tel Aviv on December 31, 2023. —AFP/File
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir takes part in a Cabinet meeting at the Kirya, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defence, in Tel Aviv on December 31, 2023. —AFP/File

Opinion

Editorial

The heat ahead
Updated 31 May, 2026

The heat ahead

Planning for hotter conditions is increasingly becoming a question of public health, economic resilience and public safety.
Dimming hopes
31 May, 2026

Dimming hopes

THE National Assembly opposition leader’s recent warning should give the ruling parties some pause. Once again, ...
No Tobacco Day
31 May, 2026

No Tobacco Day

THIS year’s World No Tobacco Day theme, announced by the WHO last October, is ‘Unmasking the appeal —...
Diplomatic resolve
Updated 30 May, 2026

Diplomatic resolve

Iran, too, must engage seriously and provide credible assurances about its nuclear programme if it wants sanctions relief and a more stable relationship with the outside world.
Weaponising water
30 May, 2026

Weaponising water

CLIMATE Minister Musadik Malik’s warning against what he described as “water aggression” indicates ...
Rabies toll
30 May, 2026

Rabies toll

EVERY year, rabies, the deadliest zoonotic disease, kills more than 59,000 people worldwide. In Pakistan, it is one...