JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Sunday that Israel stands ready to defend itself against any enemy attack. There is also the possibility that the Israel Defense Forces will go on the offensive.
Netanyahu sees the situation as a seven-front war where Iran and its proxies are trying to strangle the Jewish state.
“Their visible aggression is insatiable, but Israel is not helpless," Netanyahu said. "We are determined to stand against them on every front, in every arena, far and near. Anyone who murders our citizens, anyone who harms our country, will be held accountable. He will pay a very heavy price.”
Some anticipate Iran will launch a bigger attack than April 13th, when some 350 missiles and drones rained down across Israel, resulting in only minor damage.
The Alma Research Center in northern Israel estimates a combination of "ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs from many sites in western Iran" could be launched.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has dispatched a fighter squadron to the Middle East, and the head of the Central Command, General Michael Kurilla, is already here in the region.
Retired IDF General Amir Avivi tells CBN News Kurilla is expected to play a valuable role in helping coordinate a similar coalition effort that protected Israel in April.
“It enables to really assist Israel to deal with all the different threats – whether it's ballistic missiles, a UAV, and any other capability Iran might shoot at Israel or Hezbollah – and it increases dramatically the chances of really being able to secure Israel in the best way possible," Avivi explained.
He added, "There is no 100 percent, but it definitely improves a lot – the chances of really dealing very well with most of the capabilities Iran and Hezbollah have.”
We asked the general about Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah's threat that he may hit Tel Aviv or other civilian centers in Israel, and how Israel would respond if it happened.
Avivi replied, "If Hezbollah will shoot Israeli centers? This is a full-scale war. We have no other choice but to attack with all our capabilities. And I can tell you that Israel can inflict huge, huge damage on Hezbollah and also Lebanon. Overall, if (they would fire on) Israeli cities and infrastructure. Israel would destroy all the infrastructure of Lebanon, and they need to take that into account.”
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Israel's Home Front Command announced a new early warning system Sunday called "Personal Message."
IDF Chief Spokesman Daniel Hagari noted, "It's a world-class system that sends defensive messages against large-scale emergencies that erupt. The alert is sent to the mobile phones that are under threat, without the need for an application and without the need to perform any action on the part of the citizen.”
Avivi believes Israel's war has taken on great significance and is far from being a local or even a regional conflict. “We have a Chinese-Russian-Iranian front that has emerged in the Middle East. It's challenging the U.S. It's challenging the Middle East. Israel is at the front of this Eastern coalition that has emerged."
He continued, "It's a challenge for Western society to deal with. And this cannot be solved with appeasement. We need a strong America. We need a resolute America. We need that America that understands what are the challenges globally, that the globe is facing.”
Some reports indicate Iran may wait until August 12th and 13th when Jews mark a day on the Jewish calendar called Tisha B' Av or the ninth day of the month of Av. It's a day when Jews lament the destruction of the First and Second Jewish Temples and other calamities in Jewish history.
The day ends a three-week mourning period known as the "Dire Straits."
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