UK condemns Israeli minister over inflammatory Lebanon remarks

AI Summary

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has condemned remarks by Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who posted 'all of Lebanon must burn' after four Israeli soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah attack.

The Incident

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has condemned remarks by Israel's right-wing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who posted 'all of Lebanon must burn' after four Israeli soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah attack.

The Controversial Remarks

In a post on X on Friday, Cooper said the comments were 'horrendous and abhorrent'. Ben-Gvir wrote on X: 'For every tear of an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep. All of Lebanon must burn! 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.'

International Reactions

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Ben-Gvir's comments were 'not a rant by a random genocidal lunatic' but 'a public post by the national security minister of the Israeli regime'.
He added that 'The genocidal death cult headquartered in Tel Aviv is a threat to all of humanity.'

The Ongoing Conflict

Since Israel's offensive against Hezbollah began on March 2, 2026, more than 1.2 million people have been displaced and more than 1,200 killed in Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities.

The Humanitarian Crisis

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Friday that forcibly displaced residents of southern Lebanon would never be allowed to go back home.