Several Israeli ministers, including Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben‑Gvir, demanded intensified strikes on Hezbollah and Beirut’s Dahiyeh district after continued drone and rocket attacks on northern Israel. Smotrich urged demolition of buildings in Dahiyeh to secure the north, while Ben‑Gvir warned of harsh reprisals “for every drone.” KAN reported Israel may limit deeper IDF advances if a US‑Iran agreement creates diplomatic pressure, though the IDF plans to retain a security zone; talks with Lebanon are expected in Washington later in June.
“A Missile For Every Drone”: Israeli Ministers Urge Harsher Strikes On Hezbollah In Dahiyeh
A man in a wheelchair passes by as emergency personnel work at the site of an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, June 7, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED AZAKIR)
Several Israeli cabinet ministers publicly urged the government on Sunday to intensify strikes against Hezbollah and Beirut’s Dahiyeh district in response to continued drone and rocket attacks targeting Israeli forces and northern communities.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described Hezbollah’s ongoing launches, despite an existing ceasefire, as a test of what he called the prime minister’s “Dahiyeh doctrine.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter) he demanded stronger action to protect residents in the north.
"I call on him to implement it with determination and force and to demolish buildings in Dahiyeh today as well," Smotrich wrote. "We promised security to the residents of the north, and we must fulfill it!"
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also posted on X that he would present his position to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Lebanon front. Ben-Gvir’s message signaled a readiness for severe reprisals.
Israeli soldiers are seen inside southern Lebanon as seen from the Israeli side of the border, June 7, 2026. (credit: AYAL MARGOLIN/FLASH90)
"For every drone — a missile. For every violation — fire. For every drone — Dahiyeh must tremble. For every hair on the head of an IDF soldier — a thousand Hezbollah terrorists," Ben-Gvir wrote. "Against terror, we do not contain, we crush!"
Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer of the Religious Zionist Party echoed the calls, saying Israel must strike Dahiyeh and that northern towns such as Shlomi should not become accepted targets for Hezbollah.
Military and Diplomatic Context
Israeli public broadcaster KAN News, citing security sources, reported that Israel is preparing for the possibility a pending US‑Iran agreement could bring diplomatic pressure to stop deeper IDF ground advances into Lebanon. According to those sources, the IDF may limit incursions farther into Lebanon to avoid jeopardizing a prospective deal, while still maintaining an established security zone along the border.
The sources said the question of a full IDF withdrawal would be raised in planned talks with Lebanon in Washington later in June. Meanwhile, KAN reported that the IDF’s 36th Division has continued pushing north inside southern Lebanon, with some reports indicating its forces have neared the sizeable southern city of Nabatieh.
What This Means
The ministers’ statements reflect a hardening stance among elements of Israel’s leadership amid continued rocket and drone fire. Their public demands for intensified strikes and demolition in Dahiyeh underscore domestic pressure to protect communities in the north, even as military planners balance operational goals with diplomatic considerations tied to wider regional negotiations.
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