From the Liveblog of
Thursday, August 1, 2024
‘Whoever hurts us, we hurt them’: Netanyahu says Israel at ‘high level of readiness’ for all scenarios amid Iran threat
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
As Israel braces for Iranian retaliation in the wake of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh’s death, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declares that the country “is at a very high level of readiness for any scenario, both defensively and offensively” and promises to “exact a very heavy price for any act of aggression against us from any front.”
“After we eliminated Hezbollah chief of staff [Fuad Shukr] yesterday, today came the final verification of the elimination of Hamas chief of staff Muhammad Deif. Deif was responsible for the terrible massacre of October 7 and also for many murderous attacks against the citizens of Israel. He was Israel’s number one wanted man for years,” Netanyahu says at the end of a briefing by IDF Homefront Command chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo and Yoram Laredo, director of the National Emergency Management Authority.
“His elimination establishes a simple principle that we established: Whoever hurts us, we hurt them,” Netanyahu declares.
Israel has not taken credit for or officially commented on Haniyeh’s death in Tehran this week. Iranian leaders have vowed revenge and Netanyahu said last night that there will be “challenging days ahead.”
In April, Iran fired 300 drones and missiles, most of which were intercepted, at Israel in retaliation for an alleged Israeli strike in Syria that killed several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members.
