Israeli minister vows to 'return Lebanon to the stone age'

The Israeli intelligence affairs minister told a Saudi news site on Wednesday that Israel is prepared to bomb Lebanon back to "the stone age."

"What happened in 2006 will be a picnic compared to what we can do. I remember a Saudi minister saying they will send Hezbollah back to their caves in south Lebanon. I am telling you that we will return Lebanon to the Stone Age," Yisrael Katz told online Saudi newspaper Elaph.

Katz said his government has information that Iran is building missiles in Lebanon, calling this a "red line" for Israel.

"We will not allow them to do this at any cost," he said.

"At the same time, we don’t want war, and we have no interest in destroying Lebanon, but we will not accept a Lebanese assault on us. For example, I recently suggested to Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu that we act militarily and economically to implement [United Nations Security Council Resolution] 1701 that was adopted unanimously after the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and that we apply sanctions on Hezbollah and Iran and that, under the leadership of the United States and with the consent of China and Russia, we intervene militarily if there is a need," he added.

The comments from Katz come the same day as the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon promised to give the Mediterranean nation a $120 million military aid package.

The package will include "six new MD 530G light attack helicopters, six new Scan Eagle unmanned aerial vehicles and leading edge communication and night vision devices," Ambassador Elizabeth Richard said, according to CNN.

"This advanced equipment will help the army build on its steady strong capability to conduct border security and counterterrorism operations and importantly to defend the country and the people of Lebanon," she added.

Since 2006, the U.S. has provided $1.5 billion in military assistance to the Lebanese military. But to put that in perspective, last year, the U.S. agreed to provide $38 billion in military aid to Israel over the next decade – or $3.8 billion per year.

So, if war breaks out between Lebanon and Israel, the U.S. will have funded both sides, but have given the Israeli military significantly greater support.

In the interview with Elaph, Katz also expressed Israel's interest in establishing open relations with Saudi Arabia. He specifically invited the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to meet publicly with Israeli leaders.

Katz cited Riyadh's shared tensions with Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah as common ground with Israel. 

The news follows last month's unprecedented interview by Elaph of Israeli military chief, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenko. In that interview, Eisenko also pointed to common regional foes shared by Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Calling Iran the "biggest threat to the region," Eisenko insisted that Israel and Saudi Arabia are in agreement about the Islamic Republic's intentions, according to The Guardian. He also expressed an interest in developing closer ties with Saudi Arabia.

However, Saudi Arabia's King Salman reiterated Riyadh's solidarity with the Palestinian people on Wednesday. In a televised address, the Saudi king criticized the recent U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

"The Kingdom has called for a political solution to resolve regional crises, foremost of which is the Palestinian issue and the restoration of the Palestinian people's legitimate rights, including the right to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital," King Salman said, according to Al Jazeera.