The Israeli military, which is expecting a retaliatory attack by Iran and Hezbollah, is preparing to repel it with U.S. help. On Monday, Defense Minister Yoav Galant announced that Israel must be prepared for all possible scenarios, including a “swift move to the offensive.”
Minister of Defense Israel Yoav Galant visited the underground command center of the Israeli Air Force to discuss preparations for the expected strike as well as “the possibility of offensive actions,” the Defense Ministry said.
“We must prepare for all scenarios – including a quick move to the offensive,” he wrote on social media.
On Sunday, the minister spoke with his counterpart from the US. Lloyd Austin. United States announced that they would help Israel repel what they believed to be an imminent attack Iran and strengthened their military presence in the region.
At the same time, US diplomacy, together with other countries, including Great Britain, France and some Arab countries, is pressuring both Iran and Israel to lower tensions in an effort to de-escalate and prevent a full-blown war in the region.
On Monday, the US President Joe Biden is to discuss the situation in the Middle East with his security and international policy advisers.
Tense situation in the Middle East
According to media reports, both Israel and the US are unsure what exact actions to expect from Iran and its allies.
Rumors of a possible preemptive Israeli attack on Iran began to circulate after a meeting of the Israeli security cabinet on Sunday, the Times of Israel reported. It added that such a strike would only be possible if Israel had some intelligence information confirming a planned Iranian attack.
Iran warned airlines on Monday that GPS signals could be jammed over its territory. It is unclear who is behind the disruption, but GPS jamming is used to impede the guidance of guided missiles, the Times of Israel noted.
Alliances in the Middle EastPAP
The situation in the Middle East is the most tense in months and threatens to further escalate the conflict between Israel, Tehran and its Iranian allies: Hamas, Hezbollah and the Yemeni the Houthi movement.
The Gaza war broke out on October 7, 2023, after a terrorist attack by the Palestinian organization ruling the area, Hamas, on Israel. It killed nearly 1,200 people and kidnapped 251. According to the Hamas-controlled local authorities, nearly 40,000 Palestinians died in the war. The devastated Gaza Strip is facing a large-scale humanitarian crisis, and most of the population has become internally displaced.
Controlling the South Lebanon Hezbollah has been systematically shelling northern Israel since the outbreak of the war, which has been met with counterattacks. Tens of thousands of civilians have been evacuated from the border areas of both countries. Since the fall, shelling of Lebanon has killed more than 500 people, mostly Hezbollah fighters, while dozens have been killed in Israel. Israel has also been attacked by the Yemeni Houthi rebels, who, like Hamas and Hezbollah, are part of an Iranian-led alliance aimed at Israel.
On Tuesday, Hezbollah's military leader Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli attack on Beirut. On Wednesday, Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an attack on Tehran also attributed to Israel. The leaders of Iran, Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas have vowed to retaliate.
Main image source: X/@yoavgallant