From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Netanyahu says Israel in ‘existential war,’ will ‘settle our score with anyone who harms us’
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Israel is in an existential war against Iran and its axis and “challenging days” are ahead, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a televised address, speaking from the IDF Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv after a security cabinet meeting.
He says that in recent days, Israel has landed “crushing blows” on its three main proxies — the Houthis, Hamas and Hezbollah.
He points at the strike on Hamas military leader Muhammad Deif in Gaza several weeks ago, at the recent strike on the Hodeida port in Yemen, and last night’s attack on Fuad Shukr, whom he calls “Hezbollah’s chief of staff.” He doesn’t mention the assassination early this morning of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, which Israel has been mum on.
Netanyahu says Shukr was directly responsible for the murder of 12 children in Majdal Shams, and for attacks across Israel’s northern border. He points out Shukr’s involvement in the 1983 attack on US Marines in Lebanon, and in maintaining ties between Iran and Hezbollah.
He stresses that Druze and Jews have a “covenant of life” that has been strengthened in recent days.
“We settled our score with [Hajj] Mohsin,” he says, referring to Shukr’s nom de guerre, “and we will settle our score with anyone who harms us. Everyone who takes aim at our children, everyone who murders our citizens, everyone who harms our country — their blood is on their own head.”
He vows to “exact a heavy price for any aggression” against Israel.
