“He had a few minutes to think how wrong he was about the Jews, that we have changed. He did not understand that change,” Katz said.
By United with Israel Staff
IDF forces have completed the encirclement of the Hezbollah stronghold of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon and have begun a coordinated assault on the town, marking a significant expansion of ground operations along the northern front.
According to the military, troops from the Paratroopers, Commando, and Givati brigades, operating under the 98th Division, spent the past week surrounding the area before launching the attack as part of efforts to strengthen Israel’s forward defensive line.
The IDF said more than 100 Hezbollah terrorists have been killed in close-quarters combat and airstrikes, while dozens of terror infrastructures were destroyed and hundreds of weapons located across the area.
Bint Jbeil, long considered a symbolic Hezbollah stronghold, was also the site of Hassan Nasrallah’s 2000 “spider web” speech, in which he claimed Israel was “weaker than a spider’s web.”
The IDF said the soccer field where the speech was delivered has now been destroyed and Israeli forces have taken control of the Shiite town.
In a message to troops, 98th Division commander Brig. Gen. Guy Levy referenced the speech directly. “The one who spoke of webs and spiders no longer exists,” he wrote. “The field is gone, and his words are worth nothing.”
On Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz delivered unusually blunt remarks while visiting troops in southern Lebanon alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, issuing a direct warning to Hezbollah’s leadership and recalling the final moments of Hassan Nasrallah.
“He suffocated in the room where he was trapped,” Katz said. “He had a few minutes to think how wrong he was about the Jews, that we have changed.”
The soccer field in Bint Jbeil, where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah delivered his 2000 “spider web” speech, lies in ruins following IDF operations in southern Lebanon. (social media)
Katz said Hezbollah’s leadership and Iran have failed to recognize the shift in Israel’s posture. “He did not understand that we have changed and that we would act against him,” he said. “The same will be true for Naim Qassem, for the Iranians, and for all of them.”
Netanyahu said the broader campaign remains ongoing, including within the security zone established in southern Lebanon.
“The war continues, including inside the security zone in Lebanon,” Netanyahu said. “Our enemies, Iran and the axis of evil, came to destroy us, and now they are fighting for their survival.”
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