War danger in the Middle East - Netanyahu: Any attack on Israel is costly
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Iran and its proxy groups in the region against attacking Israel. "We will exact a heavy price for any act of aggression against us, wherever it may come from," he said, according to his office, during a meeting with home front commanders.
Israel is in a state of maximum readiness for any eventuality, he added, including both defense and potential offensive options.
Following the targeted killing of a senior Islamic Hamas leader overnight on Wednesday, Iran and Hamas threatened Israel with retaliation. According to Hamas, its exiled chief Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli attack in Tehran. The Israeli government has not yet commented on this.
The news of Haniyeh's death came just hours after an Israeli airstrike on a suburb of Lebanon's capital Beirut, where senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr was killed, according to the Israeli army. The Iran-backed Shia militia also threatened retaliation.
The European Union has expressed concern over the escalating tensions between Israel and its adversaries in the region, particularly Iran and its proxy groups. The European Union has urged all parties involved to de-escalate the situation and maintain peace in the region.
