UK condemns Israeli minister over inflammatory Lebanon remarks

Key Points:

• British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper condemned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s remarks calling for Lebanon to "burn" after a Hezbollah attack killed four Israeli soldiers, describing the comments as "horrendous and abhorrent."
• Ben-Gvir’s post on X demanded severe retaliation against Lebanon, rejecting peace agreements and stating Israel must not withdraw from captured territories, further calling for Lebanon’s obliteration.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized Ben-Gvir’s statements as a deliberate genocidal threat from Israel, labeling the regime a danger to humanity and advocating for permanent war.
• Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that displaced residents of southern Lebanon would never be allowed to return to their homes, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for intensified military actions in Lebanon.
• Since the Israeli offensive against Hezbollah began in March 2026, over 1.2 million people have been displaced and more than 1,200 killed in Lebanon, highlighting the severe humanitarian impact of the conflict.