IDF chief approves multi-front battle plans as Israel girds for Iran, Hezbollah attack
Iran reportedly may attack within 24 hours, as Gallant says Israel has boosted defenses, is prepared to respond; UK, France, Germany warn Tehran not to thwart ceasefire-hostage deal
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi held an assessment and approved battle plans for “the various fronts,” the military said in a terse statement on Monday, as the country braced for an attack from Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah.
“The chief of staff emphasized the continuation of high readiness and assessment efforts for attack and defense,” the military said.
The meeting was attended by the IDF deputy chief of staff, heads of the Intelligence and Operations directorates, head of the Northern Command, head of the Air Force, head of the Home Front Command, and other top officers.
The assessment came as Fox News reported Monday, citing regional sources, that Iran would launch an attack on Israel within the next 24 hours.
The meeting came on the eve of Tisha B’av, the Jewish day of mourning for the destruction of the two biblical temples, set to begin Monday evening. The fast day has been speculated to be the date when Iran plans to carry out its promised attack.
It marked a departure from last week’s reported assessments that the Islamic Regime would leave the retaliation to Hezbollah, whose top military commander Fuad Shukr was killed by Israel in an airstrike in Beirut several hours before Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination on July 31.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for Haniyeh’s death, but Iran maintains that Israel was responsible and has vowed to retaliate.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said earlier Monday that Israel has been bolstering its defenses in recent days amid an anticipated Iranian and Hezbollah attack on the country, as well as preparing potential attacks as a response, or preemptive actions if needed.
“We are in the days of vigilance and readiness. The threats from Tehran and Beirut may materialize and it is important to explain to everyone that readiness, preparedness, and vigilance are not synonyms for fear and panic,” said Gallant at a meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
“In recent days, we have been devoting our time both to strengthening defenses and to creating offensive options in response, and also as an initiative if required, anywhere and in any region, with the main goal being the protection of the citizens of the State of Israel,” he added.
Calls for restraint
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany issued a joint statement on Monday warning Iran not to attack Israel and calling on it to avoid sending the region spiraling into an all-out war.
“We are deeply concerned by the heightened tensions in the region, and united in our commitment to de-escalation and regional stability,” the statement read.
“In this context, and in particular, we call on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions and jeopardize the opportunity to agree [to] a ceasefire and the release of hostages,” the statement continued, referring to the negotiations for a deal between Israel and Hamas, which are scheduled to resume later this week.
The countries warned that if Iran attacked Israel, it would “bear responsibility for actions that jeopardize this opportunity for peace and stability.”
“No country or nation stands to gain from a further escalation in the Middle East,” the statement concluded.
The Vatican also called on Iran on Monday to refrain “in every way” from worsening the conflict in the Middle East.
The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, appealed instead for Tehran to embrace dialogue, negotiation and peace, during a call with Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, to congratulate him on the start of his mandate.
According to a Vatican statement, Parolin “expressed the Holy See’s serious concern about what is happening in the Middle East, reiterating the need to avoid in any way the widening of the very serious conflict underway and preferring instead dialogue, negotiation and peace.”
The Vatican has tried to maintain a balanced position on the war between Israel and the Hamas terror group in Gaza. It has reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself and called for Hamas to release the hostages it seized during its October 7 assault, but has also demanded a ceasefire, an end to the conflict, and for humanitarian aid to reach Palestinian civilians.
Right to respond
Despite the warnings, Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri, told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Monday that Iran has the “right to an appropriate and deterrent response” against Israel following the assassination of Haniyeh.
Iranian state media added that Bagheri told Wang that deterring Israel was necessary in order to ensure regional stability.
Ahead of a possible escalation, Hezbollah has entirely evacuated its headquarters in the Beirut suburb of Dahieh as a precaution against a possible Israeli response to its threatened revenge attack on Israel, Lebanese media reported Monday.
Outlet Al Joumhouria reported that Hezbollah has moved its entire operation — personnel, computers, and other equipment — out of Beirut, including its political wing.
The skyrocketing tensions over the past couple of weeks have seen many major airlines cancel or delay their flights to Israel and to other countries in the region.
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