Israel strengthens defenses against Iran
The Israeli military will fortify its defenses on Thursday after a deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus drew threats of retaliation, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatening harm to those who hurt Israel.
He spoke after the army paused leave for combat units, blocked GPS signals in certain places and strengthened “alertness” as its war against Hamas in Gaza nears its seventh month.
“For years, Iran has been acting against us both directly and via its proxies; therefore, Israel is acting against Iran and its proxies, defensively and offensively,” Netanyahu said.
“We will know how to defend ourselves, and we will act according to the simple principle of whoever harms us or plans to harm us, we will harm them.”
Tensions have been inflamed by Monday’s strike against the Iranian consulate in Damascus that killed 16 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The army announced a leave suspension and also said that, after an assessment, officials decided to increase manpower and draft reserve soldiers to operate air defenses.
Armed forces spokesman Daniel
Hagari confirmed the jamming of GPS signals, which is intended to defend against guided weapons like missiles or drones.
“We strengthened the alertness of combat units, where needed,” Rear Admiral Hagari said.
“We have reinforced the defense systems, and we have aircraft prepared for defense and ready to attack in a variety of scenarios.”
As Israel has fought in Gaza since the Hamas attack of October 7, it has also increased strikes against Iranian personnel and allies in Syria and Lebanon.
Israel has traded near-daily crossborder fire with Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Israel has declined to comment on
the Damascus strike, but analysts saw it as an escalation of Israel’s campaign against Iran’s regional proxies that runs the risk of triggering a wider war.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed in a social media message that “with God’s help we will make the Zionists repent of their crime of aggression against the Iranian consulate in Damascus.”