Israel announced on Saturday that its military is prepared for any potential retaliatory attacks by Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group, or Iran itself, following the killings of several of their senior leaders.
The announcement follows reports in Israeli media suggesting that there are assessments indicating Hezbollah might launch an attack soon.
Both Hezbollah and Iran have been threatening retaliation against Israel after the deaths of key figures within Iranian-backed militant groups over the past few weeks. Among those killed was Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fu’ad Shukr, who died in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut at the end of July, and Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran.
In response to questions about these threats, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated on Saturday that the military is ready for any potential attack from Hezbollah or Iran.
"We take our enemies' threats seriously and have been prepared for a long time. We are highly capable in both offense and defense, but most importantly, any threat to the citizens of Israel that we identify, we will eliminate. We will continue to operate this way, and any developments will be communicated to the public immediately," Hagari said.
When further questioned by a reporter from Israel's state-run Kan 11 television channel about the possibility of an imminent attack by Hezbollah, Hagari did not confirm any specific intelligence or assessments regarding the timing of such an attack.
"As I mentioned, we are prepared on all fronts, both offensively and defensively. We will continue to act to neutralize threats and will keep the public informed of any changes or developments. Our primary mission is to protect the citizens of Israel," Hagari reiterated.
A significant attack on Israel could jeopardize the ceasefire negotiations that U.S. officials have indicated were progressing well before Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran, an act that Iran has blamed on Israel. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.
Currently, there are 109 Israeli hostages being held in Gaza, with 36 believed to be dead, according to the Israeli government press office. This week, Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six hostages from tunnels in Gaza during a military operation in Khan Younis.
Israel's conflict in Gaza began after militants led by Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of more than 250 hostages, as reported by Israeli authorities. The war has since claimed over 40,200 lives in Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities.
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