Israelis ‘sitting in fear’ as Iran vows to launch retaliatory attack: Israeli mayor
Israelis are “sitting in fear” as Iran has vowed to launch a retaliatory attack on the regime, an Israeli mayor says, almost a week after Tel Aviv assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital of Tehran.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 14 broadcast on Tuesday, Avichai Stern, who is the mayor of Kiryat Shmona, said Israelis were living in fear due to the looming threat of an all-out war with the Islamic Republic, urging the regime’s military to launch a preemptive attack on Iran rather than wait for its retaliation.
“Nine million citizens are sitting in fear ... waiting to see what will happen.”
“Today we are waiting for a ballistic missile attack from Iran; next time we might wait for a nuclear or atomic attack – it’s absurd! We need a preemptive strike,” Stern said.
Kiryat Shmona has been a target for frequent retaliatory rocket attacks by Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah since October. It is a city in the north of the occupied Palestinian territories on the western slopes of the Hula Valley near the Lebanese border.
Meanwhile, reports said that around 150,000 Israelis have been stranded abroad following the suspension of international flights to Tel Aviv.
The official public broadcaster KAN highlighted that approximately 4,000 passengers have reached out to the Israeli ministry of foreign affairs, seeking assistance to facilitate their return.
Since last Monday, a total of 15 international airlines have canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv. Some airlines have temporarily suspended operations for a few days, while others have halted flights indefinitely.
Late last week, the Hebrew language Walla news site reported that Israel’s Shin Bet spy service was preparing a bunker for use by Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials.
According to the report, the underground bunker in occupied al-Quds, which had not been used in Israel’s campaign in the Gaza Strip, is now fully operational.
Built some 20 years ago, the bunker can sustain hits from a range of existing weaponry, has command and control capabilities, and is connected to the headquarters of the Israeli ministry of military affairs in Tel Aviv, it added.
When Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated at his residence in the early hours of July 31, Iran declared three days of national mourning, and vowed to launch a massive retaliatory attack on the occupying entity.
In a statement, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warned Israel of a harsh and stinging response in coordination with the forces of the Axis of Resistance.
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