Katz says Israel has completely razed 24 south Lebanon villages whose residents aided Hezbollah

Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israel has completely destroyed 24 historic villages in southern Lebanon whose residents were operating on Hezbollah’s behalf.

“Twenty-four Lebanese villages that were hundreds of years old — with Shiite residents who acted as enemies (of Israel) on behalf of Hezbollah and threatened our borders and our residents — we destroyed all of the buildings,” Katz says during a conference sponsored by the pro-government Channel 14 news network.

“Not one house at a time. The entirely of those villages — their demolition has been completed. We’re talking about 15,000 to 20,000 homes. All 24 of these villages have been destroyed and Bint Jbeil, which is beyond this area (of southern Lebanon) has been destroyed,” Katz says.

“We have 700 square kilometers in southern Lebanon — from the coastline until the Beaufort Castle and the foothills of the Hermon. We’re preventing infiltrations into Israeli towns, we’re preventing the firing of anti-tank missiles at Israeli towns, and the IDF continues to operate (in southern Lebanon), demolishing tunnels,” he adds.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz:

Twenty-four Lebanese villages, hundreds of years old—we destroyed all the buildings, not house by house, but entire villages.

Their destruction has been completed. You need to understand: 15,000 to 20,000 homes across all 24 villages have… pic.twitter.com/1sprg5aCx6

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 28, 2026

Katz says a similar strategy has been used by the IDF in Gaza where it has flattened much of the territory that was riddled with Hamas terror tunnels.

“Today there is no Shejaiya. There is no Jabalia. All those terrible places… no longer exist,” he says.

“Today, the mayor of Sderot told me, ‘I don’t see any houses (when I look toward Gaza). I see the shoreline,” Katz continues. “We have destroyed Gaza.”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz admits:

Today there is no Shuja'iyya, there is no Jabalia. All those terrible places you remember no longer exist.

The Southern Command chief told me, "I don't see any houses—I see the seashore."

We destroyed Gaza. pic.twitter.com/kb758lDyJf

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 28, 2026