Iranian Official Warns Israel That Its Embassies Are Not Safe After Deadly Damascus Strike

JERUSALEM — A top Iranian military adviser warned Israel on Sunday that none of its embassies were secure following last week’s strike in Damascus, which killed two elite Iranian generals. As Israel’s battle against Hamas enters its sixth month, regional tensions threaten to plunge the Middle East into a larger confrontation.

The statements of Gen. Rahim Safavi, a military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, suggested that the attack on a diplomatic mission would be met with a similar response. They have not explicitly admitted its involvement.

“None of the (Israeli) regime’s embassies are safe anymore,” Safavi told the semi-official Tasnim news agency. He spoke at a ceremony in Tehran honoring the generals slain in the strike that destroyed an Iranian consulate building.

Iranian Official Warns Israel That Its Embassies Are Not Safe After Deadly Damascus Strike

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the country was prepared for any response. “Whoever harms us or plans to harm us, we will harm them,” he warned a Cabinet gathering.

The regional tensions erupted six months into the war, which began when Hamas-led militants infiltrated from Gaza into the country, killing 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians, and kidnapping approximately 250 others. They replied with a severe bombardment and ground offensive that killed over 33,000 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children, according to local health authorities.

Also on Sunday, the military stated that it was withdrawing forces from the 98th Paratroopers Division, which had been operating in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza, lowering Israeli troop levels in Gaza to some of their lowest since the conflict began. The Hamas stronghold has been the primary target of Israel’s offensive in recent months.

The forces retreated to rest and prepare for future operations, but a considerable number remain in Gaza, according to military sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The country keeps troops in damaged northern Gaza and can send them south as needed. Israel has declared a ground offensive against Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city and Hamas’ last stronghold. However, the area houses around 1.4 million people, representing more than half of Gaza’s population. The threat of an offensive has sparked global concern, particularly from key partners, the United States, which has demanded a credible strategy to protect civilians.

The six-month mark of the war has been met with growing discontent in Israel, where anti-government protests have erupted, and resentment is rising over what some Israelis regard as the government’s failure to assist in rescuing the remaining around 130 hostages, about a fifth of whom claims are dead.

Negotiations for a cease-fire in exchange for the hostages’ release will likely restart in Cairo on Sunday. An Israeli delegation led by the head of the Mossad intelligence agency was scheduled to leave for Cairo, according to an Israeli official who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the topic with the press.

Iranian Official Warns Israel That Its Embassies Are Not Safe After Deadly Damascus Strike

“Israel is prepared for a deal; Israel is not prepared to surrender,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated. “Instead of the international pressure being directed at Israel, which is only causing Hamas to harden its positions, the pressure of the international community needs to be directed at Hamas.”

The pressure to act has increased.

“This does not appear to be a war against terrorism. This no longer appears to be a war fought to defend Israel. Chef Jose Andres told ABC that this appears to be a battle on humanity itself, just days after an Israeli bombardment murdered seven of his World Central Kitchen colleagues in Gaza. Aid deliveries along a critical new sea route to the area were halted.

The United Nations and its allies have warned of “imminent famine” for more than 1 million people in Gaza, as humanitarian workers ask the country to ease restrictions on assistance delivery overland, the only option to meet rising demands as some Palestinians scavenge for weeds to eat.

Mothers who have given birth in Gaza since the conflict started are particularly susceptible.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the bodies of 38 persons killed in Israel’s shelling have been transferred to the territory’s remaining functional hospitals during the last 24 hours. According to reports, 71 people were injured and sent to hospitals.

Iranian Official Warns Israel That Its Embassies Are Not Safe After Deadly Damascus Strike

The ministry reported that 33,175 people had been murdered since the war began. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but claims two-thirds of those killed are children and women. A further 75,886 people have been wounded.

Israel’s military continues to suffer fatalities, particularly in Khan Younis, where four troops were killed in combat with extremists.

According to Israel’s administration, more than 600 Israeli soldiers have been killed since October 7, with 260 killed in the Gaza ground operation.

source – ap