Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on August 1 said that it was on “high alert” as the country braces for a response to the assassinations this week of Hezbollah’s military chief Fuad Shukr in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and Hamas’s leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, Tehran.
Iranian and Hamas leaders vowed to take revenge against Israel for Haniyeh’s killing during a funeral procession for him in Tehran. Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah said that the war against Israel had entered a “new phase” and Israel should expect “rage and revenge.” In addition, the leader of Yemen’s Houthis, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, vowed that the Israeli escalation will be met with a “military response.”
The IDF has claimed responsibility for the assassination of Shukr. Yet, Israel has not officially commented on the assassination of Haniyeh.
“We struck on Tuesday night in Lebanon and killed Fuad Shukr in an accurate aerial strike,” IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said when asked about Haniyeh. “I want to emphasize, there was no other aerial strike, not a missile and not an Israeli drone, in the entire Middle East that night, and I won’t comment further.”
He said the IDF was holding continuous assessments on the situation, but for now, there was no change to Home Front Command guidelines for civilians. “We have our finger on the pulse all the time.”
“We have very good defense systems, and we have international allies that have bolstered their forces in the area to aid us against these threats,” Hagari said.
The IDF spokesman emphasized, however, that Israel’s defenses are “not hermetic,” calling on the Israeli public to follow the instructions.
“Be vigilant and continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command,” he said, adding that if there are any changes, the military will update immediately.
Hagari also said that “the IDF is on high alert, both in defense and in attack. IDF troops are deployed in the air, at sea, and on the ground, and are ready for any scenario, and especially with plans to carry out attacks in the immediate time-frame.”
In addition to increased aerial patrols, dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets were waiting on tarmacs, ready to launch an attack or defend against one, according to Israel’s Channel 12 TV.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, spoke with United States President Joe Biden, who the White House said stressed America’s commitment to defending Israel’s security “against all threats from Iran.”
The two also discussed new U.S. military deployments to protect against possible attacks from ballistic missiles and drones.
According to recent reports, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ordered a direct strike against Israel and the attack may be carried out jointly with other allies of Tehran, including Hezbollah and the Houthis.
Israeli television reported that Israel was working to finalize the coordination of a regional and international coalition to thwart such a response by Iran and its allies.
Overall, the Middle East appears to be on the brink of an all-out war as a result of Israel’s recent acts and its willingness to end its offensive in the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
