In the midst of the ongoing war in Gaza, Israel is preparing for potential threats in other areas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during his visit to the Tel Nof air force base in southern Israel, made it clear that Israel is ready to meet all its security needs, both defensively and offensively. “Whoever harms us, we will harm them,” he declared. The tension escalated when a senior Iranian general and six other officers were killed in an airstrike on the Iranian embassy compound in Damascus on April 1. Although Israel has not claimed responsibility, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed that Israel “must be punished “For the attack.
Israel’s chief military spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, assured that while civilians are not being told to make any special preparations, Israel is “highly prepared for a range of scenarios.”
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As Netanyahu made these comments, Israeli troops and warplanes initiated an operation in central Gaza aimed at destroying the infrastructure of armed Palestinian groups. Most Israeli troops have been pulled out of Gaza, preparing for an assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians are sheltering. However, fighting continues in various areas of the enclave.
Residents and militants reported intense gun battles with Israeli forces, particularly in the northern and southern areas of the Al-Nuseirat refugee camp. Israeli strikes from air, ground, and sea have been relentless, causing significant damage, including the destruction of two mosques.
The conflict in Gaza, now in its seventh month, has overshadowed the increasingly tense situation further north. Israeli troops have engaged in daily exchanges of fire with Hezbollah terrorists across the border in Lebanon. On Thursday, Israeli jets hit Hezbollah targets in several areas, including Meiss el Jabal, Yarine, and Khiam.
The Iranian-backed militia, known to possess a large arsenal of missiles, has long been considered one of the most likely forces that Tehran could use against Israel. However, so far, both sides have refrained from a full-scale confrontation.
In the past 24 hours, Israeli military strikes have resulted in the death of 63 Palestinians and injured 45 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Late on Thursday, an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed Rudwan Rudwan, the head of the Hamas-run police force in Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
Since the Israeli offensive began, at least 33,545 Palestinians have been killed, with most of the 2.3 million population displaced and much of the enclave laid to waste. The war began when Hamas led an attack on southern Israel, resulting in the death of 1,200 people and 253 taken hostage. Around 130 are still being held incommunicado in Gaza, according to Israel.