Israeli minister: 'All of Lebanon must burn' after four soldiers killed

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sparked fresh controversy with his remarks following the deaths of four Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. 'For every tear of an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep,' he wrote on social media platform X, adding that 'all of Lebanon must burn.'

The Israeli military reported that the soldiers were killed in combat when their tank was hit during an operation near Kfar Tebnit. One of the victims has been identified as Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Simhon, 32, commander of the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Armored Brigade.

Ben-Gvir's statement comes just days after US and Iranian leaders signed a preliminary agreement aimed at ending the Iran war. Under the terms of the provisional deal, both sides and their allies are required to suspend all military activities, including in Lebanon.

In his post on Friday, the minister said that 'with all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not forfeit.'

This is not the first time Ben-Gvir has been at the center of controversy. In May, he posted a video showing him taunting detained activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla who had been attempting to transport aid to Gaza. The footage showed Ben-Gvir berating the detainees and waving a large Israeli flag as the activists were forced to kneel with their hands tied behind their backs. 'Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords,' he says in the video. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the time that the manner in which Ben-Gvir had dealt with the activists was 'not in line with Israel's values and norms.'