Defense Min.: 'We are capable of attacking Iran very harshly'

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Blue and White) on Tuesday morning participated in a national conference, sending a message to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

Speaking at the conference, which was held in cooperation with Channel 13 News, Gantz said, "If he challenges us, it will hurt them a lot."

"Our level of deterrence against Hezbollah and Lebanon is high, and Nasrallah understands this well. The Karish gas field is south of every line of dispute, and we have no reason to produce gas from there."

On Monday evening, Nasrallah threatened Israel, telling the Lebanese television channel Al-Mayadeen, "All the gas fields are under threat and not just Karish. There is no Israeli target, at sea or on land, that Hezbollah's precision missiles cannot reach."

"If Israel produces gas from the Karish rig in September and Lebanon does not get what it deserves, we are going to have problems. ... We will go to war."

Regarding the process of choosing a new Chief of Staff, Gantz said at the conference, "In the coming period, I will announce who the Chief of Staff will be. We have turned to [former Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, to set a meeting on the issue of appointing a Chief of Staff, and I hope he will respond positively."

On the conflict with Russia, he said, "There is a delegation which is supposed to leave Russia and there is a possibility that the approvals will arrive soon, and then this entire issue will be behind us. [Prime Minister Yair] Lapid did not make a mistake, we are on Ukraine's side. We sent them equipment which is not offensive."