Israelis living in ‘nerve-wrecking’ period anticipating Iran response

Israelis are living through a "nerve-wracking" period in anticipation of the Iranian retaliation to the assassination of Hamas' political bureau chief in Tehran, an Israeli expert on "national security" affairs said on Monday. Colonel Kobi Marom explained that this is part of Iran's strategy of attrition against "Israel". In a related context, the Israeli website Walla! pointed out that hospitals in northern occupied Palestine are on high alert, fearing scenarios where thousands of rockets might be launched by Hezbollah and Iran, which might result in thousands of casualties. The outlet added that any escalation in the war would mean road closures, power outages, and shortages of food and fuel for generators. In preparation for the incoming response, the commander of the Israeli Air Force Major General Tomer Bar issued on Monday a "special directive immediately prohibiting permanent service members from taking vacations outside Israel." He also instructed that new, individual permission must be obtained for permanent service members to travel abroad, even for previously approved missions such as meetings and training. The Israeli occupation also carried out an aggression on Yemen last month, and assassinated a top Hezbollah military commander, Sayyed Fouad Shokor, less than 12 hours after assassinating Haniyeh, in an airstrike targeting a residential building in Beirut's southern suburbs. The aggression also resulted in the martyrdom of five civilians: Three women and two children. During an event commemorating Sayyed Shokor, the leader of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah emphasized that Hezbollah and the Resistance Axis will respond to the Israeli crimes "no matter the consequences."