- Israeli national security minister Ben Gvir’s statements come amid continued use of an unlawful detention facility and ongoing Israeli military expansion in Lebanon.
The national security minister made his proposal during a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday, where officials supported expanding military operations in Lebanon.
“Let’s start thinking outside the box about Hezbollah,” Ben Gvir said.
“Conquering territory and killing many terrorists, but also arresting their women and youth and taking them to terrorist prisons,” he added. “That’s what hurts them the most.”
Since the 2024 war, Israeli forces have detained several Lebanese civilians, though the exact number remains unclear.
They are among 1,316 people currently held under the “unlawful combatant” law, including Palestinians from Gaza and Syrian nationals.
The law, originally enacted in 2002 to allow the detention of Lebanese citizens outside Israeli jurisdiction for indefinite, renewable periods, permits detention without formal indictment. Detainees do not receive charges.
Rights groups have described the legislation as a violation of international law. It allows detention without court order or legal representation, and permits authorities to withhold information about detainees’ whereabouts and conditions.
Despite a US ceasefire announcement in Lebanon, Israeli strikes have continued. Israeli minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf urged Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to “open his pockets” for the military and its artillery.
Defence Minister Israel Katz supported the call, saying: “The prime minister made an important decision to attack, and we must expand the armaments even further.”
Lebanon’s Defence Minister Michel Menassa said earlier this week that Israel carried out around 3,500 attacks and hundreds of controlled explosions since the 17 April ceasefire announced by the US.
Around 1.2 million people have been displaced nationwide.
According to Lebanon’s health ministry, at least 3,637 people have been killed since the latest assault began in March, including more than 800 since the 17 April ceasefire.
At least 34 Israelis have been killed by Hezbollah attacks since March, mostly soldiers, including 18 since 17 April.
Israeli strikes killed 14 people across southern Lebanon on Tuesday, including a 16-year-old boy, Lebanese media and medics reported, as the Israeli military issued a sweeping evacuation order for the entire city of Tyre.
