Israel Expects Powerful Blows from Iran and Hezbollah

After the killing of the militant leaders, Israel is bracing for a potential multi-day attack from Iran and its ally Hezbollah, an Israeli official told NBC News. There is a possibility that a large number of missiles and drones could be launched over several days in response to the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.

“They will just try to wear us down,” the Israeli official said.

The tensions mark the latest escalation in the Middle East in the 10-month war between Israel and Hamas.
Israel killed Shukr in a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Tuesday. The strike also killed three civilians, including two children. About 74 were wounded, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

What happened earlier in Israel

The Israeli military accused Shukr of orchestrating an attack on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights that killed 12 children. Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for the attack.

Hours later, it was reported that Haniyeh had been killed in Tehran in the early hours of Wednesday morning. He was there for the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

The official said there were lengthy talks in Cairo later, but no breakthrough was achieved.

Iranian officials have vowed to take revenge on Israel, although the country has not publicly acknowledged organizing the killing of Haniyeh. The Hezbollah leader also told his followers that Israel would suffer for the attacks.

After bombing the Iranian embassy in Damascus, he launched 300 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones in a barrage. This time, an Israeli official said the attacks could continue for days. Hezbollah would likely attack Israel from the north, he said, while Iran’s longer-range weapons would fire from the east.

Diplomats have been working to avoid a wider regional war in the Middle East since the Hamas attack on October 7 that killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. But those efforts have not stopped attacks on Israel.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the Gaza Strip is approaching 40,000.

Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/04/israel-bracing-for-attack-after-assassinations-in-beirut-and-tehran.html