Katz: We'll turn southern Lebanon into a wasteland like Gaza, 'Qassem can meet Khamenei in hell'

Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered the IDF "to destroy terror infrastructure in the nearby Lebanese border villages - to prevent threats and the return of Hezbollah to the area, exactly as was done to Hamas in Gaza, in Rafah, Beit Hanun, and a variety of other areas."

Interestingly, similar language was quoted anonymously in an Axios report on Friday, which also said that the IDF was going to take over all of southern Lebanon in the largest invasion since 2006.

In contrast, top IDF officials said that there would be a dramatic escalation, but have pushed back against the idea that a decision has already been made to reoccupy all of southern Lebanon or that the current operation will be as large as even the operation in the fall of 2024.

Katz was not the defense minister until after the fall 2024 operation and has talked less about those achievements.

Additional troops from the four IDF divisions redeployed to the north could join the expanded operation at a later stage, depending on developments on the ground.

While the move marks a dramatic escalation, it still does not amount to a full-scale invasion along the lines of the 2024 campaign, as forces are not advancing all the way to the Litani River at this stage.

Ahead of the ground operations, the IDF said it carried out artillery barrages and Air Force strikes on multiple Hezbollah targets.

The military added that troops are continuing defensive missions in the Galilee to protect nearby Israeli communities.

IDF troops are also carrying out defensive missions to protect communities in the Galilee, the military said.

The IDF added that it will continue to operate against Hezbollah, which “chose to join the hostilities and operate under the sponsorship of the Iranian terror regime,” and said it “will not allow harm to Israeli civilians.”

Additionally, on Sunday, the IDF reported that eighty-five percent to 90% of Hezbollah’s pre-2023 rocket arsenal has been destroyed.

Before the war, Hezbollah had more than 150,000 rockets, it said.

Meanwhile, the IDF's 401st Brigade carried out operations against Hezbollah terrorists and terror infrastructure in southern Lebanon, the military confirmed on Monday.

During these operations, the 401st Brigade, operating under the 91st Division, acted in evacuated areas that had been used by Hezbollah terrorists to exploit civilian infrastructure for terror activities, according to the military.

The operations included locating weapons and incitement materials in a structure used by Hezbollah terrorists, and dismantling a weapons cache belonging to the terror organization.

Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, Northern Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Rafi Milo, and other Northern Command officials visited positions near the Israel-Lebanon border on Monday, the military confirmed.

"We are preparing for what comes next and reinforcing the Northern Command with additional troops in order to strengthen the forward defensive posture, deepen the damage to Hezbollah, and push the threat away from the communities in the North," Zamir said.

"Iran is the primary arena. Weakening the regime and its capabilities will weaken the entire radical axis, including the Hezbollah terrorist organization. The operation against Hezbollah is another central front. Every blow to the military build-up capabilities of Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also harms Hezbollah’s armament and funding capabilities. The impact of the strike and the weakening of the radical regime in Iran is also being felt in the operation against Hezbollah," he added.

"The Northern Command is conducting a determined operation against Hezbollah, during which more than 400 terrorists have been eliminated so far, including senior members of the organization. We are determined to continue the operation until all of our objectives are achieved. At the same time, we are strengthening the defense and reinforcing the Northern Command with additional troops. Hezbollah is currently fighting a war for its survival; it is paying a heavy price following it’s decision to attack Israel on behalf of the Iranian regime, and the pressure on it will only continue to increase," he said.

Israel on Monday warned that displaced Lebanese driven from their homes by its military campaign would not be able to return until the safety of Israelis living near the border was ensured, as Israeli troops pushed into new parts of southern Lebanon.

In a briefing, IDF international spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters that soldiers were now conducting ground operations in "new locations," describing the latest offensive as "limited and targeted."

Over the weekend, Israeli troops encircled the key southern Lebanese town of Khiyam and were advancing west toward the Litani River, a move that could leave large swathes of southern Lebanon under Israeli control, Lebanese security sources told Reuters.

Israeli troops battled Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon throughout the day on Monday, and advanced towards Bint Jbeil, a Lebanese village and Hezbollah stronghold located about four kilometers from the border with Israel, the sources said.

Two Israeli officials said on Sunday that Israel and Lebanon were expected to hold talks in the coming days aimed at securing a durable ceasefire which ‌would see Hezbollah disarmed.

A Lebanese source familiar with the matter said it didn't seem talks with Israel would be taking place soon, though they would happen eventually.

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told reporters that a "few players were trying to mediate and host talks," adding: "I believe the next step will be talks, but first we have to degrade the capability of Hezbollah."