Israel braces for attacks after assassinations in Beirut and Tehran

TEL AVIV — Israel is preparing for a possible multi-day attack by Iran and its ally Hezbollah after Two senior militant leaders assassinated an Israeli official told NBC News last week.

The official said Israel fears it could launch multiple rounds of missile and drone attacks within days in response to the killing of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah Commander Fuad Shukr.

“They just want to wear us out,” the official said.

This tension marks the Israel-Hamas war lasts 10 monthsIt is characterized by a series of heightened pressure points, with concerns Comprehensive regional conflict coming soon.

Shukur was killed in an Israeli strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs last Tuesday that killed three civilians, including two children, and wounded 74 others in a Shiite-populated area, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

The Israeli military accused Shukor of carrying out an attack in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights that killed 12 children and said the “blood of our people” was priceless. Hezbollah denied responsibility for the attack.

Hours later, news broke that Haniyeh had been killed in Tehran early Wednesday morning while in Iran attending the inauguration of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The day after Haniyeh’s assassination, President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu. President Biden publicly stated that Haniyeh’s assassination was not conducive to US efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. According to Israeli officials, the atmosphere of the call was “tense.”

“The United States strongly demands a ceasefire. Biden hopes to achieve a ceasefire during his term in office,” the official said.

Israeli negotiators arrived in Cairo on Saturday to continue talks but made no breakthrough, the official said.

Iranian officials vow Revenge on Israelbut the country has not publicly acknowledged responsibility for Haniyeh’s assassination. The Hezbollah leader also told his followers that Israel would be harmed by the attack.

When Iran April 13 attack on Israel In response to the bombing of the Syrian Embassy in Damascus, Israel launched 300 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones in a intensive manner so that different missiles could reach Israel at the same time. The vast majority of the missiles were intercepted by Israeli and US forces, and Hezbollah was largely absent from the battle.

This time, Israeli officials said the attacks could last for days, with Hezbollah striking Israel from the north and Iranian long-range weapons fired from the east.

It would be Iran’s second direct attack on Israel this year, a rare frontal assault for a regime widely believed to act through its proxies in the region.

Diplomats have been trying to avoid a larger regional war in the Middle East Since the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 The war has left 1,200 people dead and about 250 kidnapped. But the efforts have not stopped Hezbollah and the Houthis, two Iran-backed militias, from escalating attacks on Israel, which the groups claim is support for the Palestinian cause.

at the same time Death toll in Gaza continues to riseOfficials’ latest estimate puts the death toll in the region at nearly 40,000.

Families of hostages remaining in Gaza pleaded with Netanyahu to reach a deal that would allow their loved ones to return home. Detained last month Protest against the Prime Minister’s speech to Congress during his visit to the United States

Rav Sanchez reported from Tel Aviv. Doha Madani reported from New York City.