On Saturday, Israel was tense and worried as it prepared for possible Iranian retaliation after the assassination of senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. This has raised fears of a wider regional conflict.
The people of Israel are already exhausted after ten months of fighting in Gaza, which started with a Hamas attack on October 7. This conflict has also led to attacks from other Iran-backed groups, especially Hezbollah in Lebanon, which borders northern Israel.
Israel had begun to adjust to the ongoing war, but recent events have shocked many. In just one week, there were two major assassinations and threats of revenge.
Israeli officials have advised people to stock up on food and water and to prepare safe rooms. Emergency drills were conducted to simulate responses to a full-scale war with Iran and its allies. Hospitals in northern Israel are getting ready to move patients to underground shelters if needed.
Earlier this week, Israel killed Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah leader, in Beirut. This was in response to a rocket attack from Lebanon that had killed 12 children in Israel’s Golan Heights. Later, an explosion in Tehran killed Ismail Haniyeh, a top Hamas leader. Both Iran and Hamas blamed Israel for this attack, although Israel has not confirmed it.
Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas have all vowed to retaliate, and Israel is on high alert for potential attacks from multiple countries.
Before these recent events, some Israelis hoped for a cease-fire in Gaza to bring back the 115 hostages still held there. U.S. officials suggested that a truce with Hamas might lead to peace talks with Hezbollah as well.
Hezbollah has launched many drones and missiles at Israel since October 7. Israel has responded, but neither side has fully escalated to a total war, which would be devastating for both Israel and Lebanon.
Hezbollah has advanced drones and precision missiles that could potentially overwhelm Israel’s defenses. The Israeli military’s response could be severe.
Now, Israel is waiting to see how Iran will respond. Earlier in April, after Israeli attacks killed Iranian generals in Syria, Iran fired 300 missiles and drones at Israel. Most of these were intercepted or landed in empty areas.
Israel Launches Deadly Airstrikes on West Bank(Iranian retaliation)
On Saturday, Israel carried out two airstrikes on the town of Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank, killing nine people, according to Palestinian media. One of the strikes was a drone attack that targeted a vehicle, killing five people. One of the deceased was identified as Haitham Balidi, a local leader of Hamas’s Qassam Brigades.
The Israeli military described the targets as “terrorists” involved in planning an attack but did not specify further. They also closed off roads leading into Tulkarm, trapping residents inside and causing disruptions.
Since the conflict with Hamas began on October 7, Israeli airstrikes in the West Bank have increased. This tactic, previously rare, has become more common in recent months. The escalation follows a period of mostly limited airstrikes and drone attacks compared to those in Gaza.
The Israeli military has conducted at least 39 airstrikes on Tulkarm in the past 10 months, excluding Saturday’s strikes. In a recent attack on July 22, five Palestinians, including two women, were killed in Tulkarm.
Since October 7, at least 589 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including 142 children and teenagers.
The U.S. is deploying additional combat aircraft to the Middle East, according to officials
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III announced on Friday that the U.S. will send more combat aircraft and missile defense ships to the Middle East. This move comes in response to threats from Iran and its allies in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen, who have vowed to attack Israel following the death of Ismail Haniyeh.
The U.S. will deploy an extra squadron of Air Force F-22 fighter jets, additional Navy cruisers and destroyers that can shoot down missiles, and possibly more land-based missile defense systems if needed. To keep an aircraft carrier in the region, the USS Abraham Lincoln will replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is returning home.
Some ships currently in the Mediterranean Sea will move closer to Israel for better protection, according to a senior Pentagon official.
Sabrina Singh, the deputy Pentagon press secretary, said these adjustments aim to enhance U.S. force protection, support Israel’s defense, and prepare for various scenarios. The exact arrival time of the new aircraft and ships is not yet clear, but it will be in the coming days for the planes and a bit longer for the ships.
Officials are also considering sending additional troops to operate the new equipment, although this support will be purely defensive. During a call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Secretary Austin promised increased U.S. support for Israel and expressed concerns about the potential for escalating conflict in the region.
The Pentagon is preparing for possible attacks on American troops by Iranian-backed groups like the Houthis in Yemen and Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq. In April, Iran launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Israel, which was mostly intercepted by U.S. and allied forces. The Pentagon is now making sure that there is enough air power and naval support ready to help defend Israel if new attacks occur.
Palestinians held funeral prayers for a slain Hamas leader, but the mood of anger was noticeably subdued.
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza held funeral prayers for Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader who was buried in Doha, Qatar. Despite the call for a “day of anger” by Hamas, few people in Gaza appeared to be following it. Many were more focused on the devastation caused by recent Israeli airstrikes rather than the funeral itself.
In Gaza, the mood was more about the ongoing destruction from airstrikes than the death of Haniyeh. The city’s residents are used to quick and informal funeral prayers amidst rubble, unlike the grand ceremony held in Qatar.
In Jerusalem, a funeral prayer for Haniyeh was conducted in absentia at Al Aqsa Mosque, but not everyone participated. Israeli police were present and later investigated potential incitement related to the sermon given by Sheikh Ekrima Sabri.
In Shati refugee camp, where Haniyeh was born, people gathered for a prayer in a damaged building, reflecting the long-standing hardship and displacement of local residents.
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