IDF prepares for ‘infiltration’ ground assault on Israel

The Telegraph:  Israel sent troops to bolster its borders with the West Bank to prepare for a possible ground assault orchestrated by Hamas and Iran.

Additional forces were deployed to cities to foil any infiltration attempt, following a deadly knife attack on Sunday that left two people killed in the city of Holon in central Israel, Israel’s Army Radio, run by the armed forces, reported.

It came as Israel was braced for a major attack likely by air from Iran following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader, in Tehran on Wednesday.

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, told G7 allies that an attack, likely with missiles and drones, could begin as early as Monday, sources told US media.

The G7 countries issued a joint statement, urging all involved parties “once again to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence, to lower tensions and engage constructively toward de-escalation”.

Iran dismisses attempts to de-escalate

Iran on Monday issued public flight operations notices advising aircrafts to change their routes in a sign that missile and drone launches were imminent. Lufthansa, the German airline giant, said that its flights would avoid Iraqi and Iranian airspace until at least Aug 7.

Tehran has dismissed attempts by Arab nations and the US to de-escalate the situation, saying it will attack Israel even if it means sparking a war, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Nasser Kanaani, the Iranian foreign ministry’s spokesman, reiterated on Monday that an attack was being prepared, saying “we believe Iran is entitled to punish the aggressor within the framework of international law”.

Iran will “definitely and decisively take serious and deterrent measures”, he added.

Nasser Kanaani confimed Iran is preparing to launch an attack on Israel - Anadolu

Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, was on Monday coordinating Israel’s response with his Italian and American counterparts, discussing a series of “scenarios and corresponding defensive and offensive capabilities”.

Israel’s Kan Public Broadcaster reported that “intensive work” was being done to make sure a coalition of Arab and Western nations will help defend Israel against an Iranian attack.

“Everyone has an interest in the incident not evolving into a regional war,” Kan reported, citing anonymous Western diplomats.

When Iran, Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked Israel in April with 360 drones and missiles, the UK, US, France, Qatar, Egypt, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan and Saudi Arabia all helped foil the attack

On Monday Israel continued attacking both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The IDF said its airstrikes killed Abed Al-Zeriei, Hamas’s minister of economy in Gaza, saying he played a “significant role in directing Hamas’s efforts” to seize control of humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

Israeli airstrikes also killed two Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon, following a drone attack in northern Israel that left an Israeli soldier and officer wounded.

Turkey and Japan meanwhile called on its citizens to leave Lebanon in light of the situation.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, repeated his warning to Iran and its proxies on Monday, saying Israel is determined to “stand against them on every front and in every arena – near and far. Whoever seeks to harm us will pay a very heavy price”.