We’ll harm Iran, says Netanyahu after drone, missile attack

Following the vicious launch of over 300 drones and missiles by Iran in the late hours of Saturday in Israel, the Prime Minister of the Jewish nation, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned that his nation will “harm” anyone who attacks them directly and that Isreal has been preparing for an Iranian attack for years.

The late night attack set off air raid sirens in cities across Israel, including Tel Aviv and West Jerusalem, and explosions were heard as air defences intercepted the projectiles, a retaliatory strike that raised the threat of a wider regional conflict.

The Israeli military said the Iranian salvo consisted of more than 300 “killer drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles”, but that 99 percent were intercepted with help from forces from France, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Though, Jordan which has been in the forefront of berating Isreal over its military onslaught in Gaza reportedly intercepted most of the drones.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the attack, saying it launched the drones and missiles under Operation True Promise as part of the punishment for “the Zionist crime of targeting the Iranian consulate in Syria” on April 1.

The raid in Damascus killed 12 people, including two senior generals in the IRGC’s elite Quds Force.

“In recent times, and particularly in the last several weeks, Israel has been getting ready for an outright Iranian strike. We are prepared for every situation, both offensively and defensively, with our defensive systems in place. Israel is a powerful State. The IDF is powerful. The people are powerful “said Netanyahu.

“We appreciate the US standing alongside Israel, as well as the support of Britain, France and many other countries. We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We will defend ourselves against any threat and will do so level-headedly and with determination,” Netanyahu’s statement read.

Meanwhile, the Israeli spy service Mossad said today that Hamas, the militant wing affiliated with the Palestinian organization, had turned down the most recent offer made by international mediators to end the military face-off in Gaza.

Egypt, Qatar, and the United States had previously served as go-betweens in the negotiations, but no workable agreement could be reached.

The mediators were trying to arrange a ceasefire before Ramadan began, but they were unable to move forward.

Also, on Friday, Netanyahu approved a new round of ceasefire talks to be held in Doha and Cairo. The Israeli PM had spoken with Mossad chief David Barnea about the talks, although it was not stated whether Mr. Barnea would be traveling to either city.

When Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, they took about 250 hostages, which started the battle. Israel calculates that 130 people are still being held captive in Gaza, 33 of them are thought to be dead.