Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for Israel to “reoccupy southern Lebanon” and for “a war that will destroy Hezbollah”, Al Jazeera reports.

The ultra-nationalist minister and leader of the National Religious Party-Religious Zionism, said that “the people of Israel are ready for this”.

“There is no way to restore security to the residents of the north without a war that will destroy Hezbollah,” he said in a post on social media.

As well as reoccupying southern Lebanon, Israel must create “a security strip” within Lebanese territory, he said.