Smoke rises near the historic Beaufort Castle following Israeli bombings on the village of Yohmor, in southern Lebanon, as seen from Marjayoun, May 6, 2026. (Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT — Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli army completely destroyed 24 villages in southern Lebanon, claiming that residents have "nowhere to return to," in an interview with Israel's Channel 14 on Sunday evening.
Katz said in the interview that Israel seized "a 700-square-kilometer 'security zone' in south Lebanon and completely destroyed 24 Lebanese villages that had served as Hezbollah outposts."
"They have nowhere to return to ; everything there has been destroyed," he added.
On the regional level, Katz said that "if Iran attacks Israel, it will suffer a crushing blow." He also noted that Israel would not withdraw from "security zones in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria until the war’s objectives are achieved." "We are not withdrawing from a single centimeter of the security zone," he added.
He also compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill in his "ability to rally the United States for a joint strike."
Despite a cease-fire agreement in Lebanon, following months of war between Hezbollah and Israel, Israeli forces have continued carrying out demolitions in villages in the South on a daily basis. Last Thursday, Israeli forces carried out large-scale demolitions in the Beaufort Castle sector in the Nabatieh district, which generated seismic waves equivalent to a magnitude 3.8 earthquake.
Salam, Aoun mobilizing international support
Salam addressed the issue of Israeli attacks on Monday during a regular ministerial meeting, specifically the explosions carried out by the Israeli occupation forces. Information Minister Paul Morcos said afterwards that Salam referred to the "international contacts being conducted by President Joseph Aoun and himself, whether through the mechanism or with friendly and brotherly countries around the world, to mobilize international support to stop these attacks," according to the Grand Serail.
Morcos said the ministers also discussed the "ongoing assessment of damages, the start of debris removal and road reopening, as well as the beginning of bridge repairs starting next Wednesday, and the provision of services, particularly water, electricity, telecommunications, and other services.”
The war between Hezbollah and Israel has displaced more than one million people. Since hostilities subsided, at least 40% of those displaced have returned home, while others remain unable to do so because their villages are still occupied or have been destroyed.
In late July, during a visit to the village of Zawtar Gharbieh (Nabatieh district) — one of the "pilot zones" — Salam said authorities had “begun preparations to provide prefabricated housing," noting that the "return of life in the South is not a simple slogan, but a national objective to which the state is fully committed."
Fire ravages Yaroun as Israeli demolitions continue across southern Lebanon