Katz: Any gunfire towards Israel will be met with targeting the southern suburb of Beirut

This came in a post on the American "X" platform, coinciding with the start of technical military meetings between Beirut and Tel Aviv, on Tuesday, at the US Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida, with the aim of reviewing the implementation of the "framework agreement" and discussing the "pilot areas" from which the Israeli army is scheduled to withdraw in southern Lebanon.

Katz said in his post that "the Israeli army will not withdraw from the security zone as long as Hezbollah is not disarmed throughout Lebanon, and as long as the threat facing the residents of the north has not been removed."

He added that "if Hezbollah joins an Iranian attack on Israel, it will receive a harsh blow, and the Israeli army is prepared to carry out a ground maneuver towards additional areas in the Nabatieh and Litani regions."

He continued that "the lands that will be occupied will have their residents evacuated, and will be treated in the same way, to permanently become part of the Israeli security zone in Lebanon."

Katz claimed that Israel "has provided unprecedented security for the residents of the north," adding: "We have established a security zone inside Lebanese territory with an area of 700 square kilometers, extending from the Mediterranean coast in the west to Beaufort Castle, the Ali al-Tahir ridge, and the outskirts of Mount Hermon in the east," according to him.

He said that "all 200,000 Shiite residents have been evacuated up to the yellow line," claiming that the Israeli army is working to "thwart underground and above-ground terrorist infrastructure."

Katz pointed out that the Israeli army has demolished more than 60 Lebanese villages in the area, containing 23,000 homes, which he claimed "were used as Hezbollah sites and threaten the safety of the residents of the Galilee."

He claimed that the current situation represents a "new security doctrine" led by the Israeli government in cooperation with the army, adding that Israel will not allow threats targeting the residents of the country's north to remain.

In a related context, the Israeli minister threatened that "every shot fired or drone launched towards Israeli cities or kibbutzim will be met with a strong response targeting the Dahiyeh neighborhood in Beirut."

He added: "The fate of the Dahiyeh in Beirut is the same as the fate of Avivim, Misgav Am, and Kiryat Shmona," referring to Israeli towns in the north, confirming that the army is "prepared to respond with all its might" in the event this policy is breached.

Since last March 2, Israel has been launching attacks on Lebanon that have resulted in more than 4,300 deaths and 12,400 injuries, and the displacement of more than one million people, according to Lebanese authorities.

On June 26, Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a "framework formula" under American sponsorship, which provides for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the deployment of the Lebanese army therein, and the disarmament of "Hezbollah."

Despite the agreement, Israel continues its attacks in southern Lebanon, while it still occupies areas within it, some for decades, and others it seized during recent wars and military operations.