Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz considered that Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem would destroy the Shiite community in Lebanon just as former Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah had previously destroyed it. Katz threatened Hezbollah to escalate the attacks, warning that any joining the war alongside Iran against Israel would lead to attacks in the southern suburb of Beirut and its evacuation, the displacement of a million Shiites in Lebanon, and the occupation of more areas in Nabatieh and the south of the Litani and annexing them to the security zone. Katz stressed that the Israeli army will not withdraw from the security areas in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, warning that anyone who attacks Israel, whether before or after the elections, “will pay a heavy price.”