Israeli Minister Calls for Lebanon to ‘Burn’
Israel's national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir declared Lebanon should burn after four Israeli soldiers were killed, contradicting a U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement.
Itamar Ben-Gvir made the inflammatory remarks on June 19 via social media platform X, hours after four Israeli soldiers were reported killed in southern Lebanon, according to Brussels Signal.
The statement directly contradicts a memorandum of understanding signed just days earlier between the United States and Iran, designed to halt the Iran war and cease fighting throughout the region.
Ben-Gvir dismissed the diplomatic agreement, insisting Israel must demonstrate to the world that its soldiers’ lives and citizens’ security cannot be treated as bargaining chips. He invoked the grief of Israeli mothers, declaring that Lebanese mothers should suffer a thousandfold in comparison.
Four Soldiers Killed in Southern Lebanon
The Israeli military confirmed that the four troops died in combat when their tank was struck during an operation near Kfar Tebnit, a village in southern Lebanon. Among the dead was Dor Ben Simhon, a 32-year-old lieutenant colonel commanding the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Armoured Brigade.
Both Israeli and Lebanese sources indicated a drone or anti-tank missile hit the tank shortly after midnight, though the precise weapon remains under investigation. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia controlling large portions of southern Lebanon, is believed responsible for the attack.
Fragile Ceasefire Already Unraveling
The incident lays bare how tenuous the US-Iranian agreement remains concerning Lebanon. Iran maintains the deal requires an immediate cessation of all military operations, including on Lebanese territory where Israeli forces continue to occupy substantial areas, as Brussels Signal reports.
Israel, which is not a signatory to the accord, rejects that interpretation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated categorically that Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon for as long as deemed necessary.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported Israeli strikes across the country’s south killed at least 15 people on the same day as Ben-Gvir’s remarks. Scheduled US-Iran talks in Switzerland were subsequently cancelled, with US Vice President JD Vance scrapping his planned trip to the neutral nation.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called on Israel to cease its operations and urged Washington to apply pressure to ensure compliance.
Minister’s Track Record of Controversy
Ben-Gvir, who leads the right-wing Otzma Yehudit party, has cultivated a reputation for provocative statements and actions. In May, he posted video footage showing himself verbally confronting detained activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, behavior Netanyahu publicly stated did not reflect Israeli values.
With information from Brussels Signal
