The IDF is on high alert ahead of a potential attack on Israel by the Hezbollah terror group and its Iranian financiers, Israel Hayom reported.
According to the report, the IDF believes that the Iranian axis' response to the deaths of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah's second-in-command Fuad Shukr is delayed due to the fact that both Iran and Hezbollah are rethinking their plans due to international pressure and concerns for how Israel might respond to such attacks.
Israel Hayom noted that unlike the Iranian attack in April, which passed nearly without damage or casualties in Israel, the impending attack by Hezbollah may well cause great damage, due to the terror group's closer proximity to Israel.
Israel, meanwhile, has warned that harm to Israeli civilians will not be tolerated, and will be answered with a harsh response. Israel has also clarified that harm to IDF soldiers or bases will not be ignored. It is thus believed that both Iran and Hezbollah are weighing their responses.
The IDF has also clarified that it is not waiting for an attack but initiating and attacking Hezbollah, as well as preparing both attack and defense plans. It is not believed that a comprehensive preventive attack is on the table at this point, and Israel has not yet decided to move its main fighting efforts from Gaza to the northern border, though Israel may well be forced to take such a step in the coming days.
The IDF has promised to provide civilians with sufficient warning prior to any attack, at the very least to allow them to reach shelter on time, but the military is also weighing warning the public at an earlier time, if appropriate intelligence information is found and in accordance with operational and intelligence considerations. Regardless, the IDF has not promised to provide the Israeli public with several hours' warning prior to the attack, as it did in April, when Iran launched a barrage of missiles and UAVs and Israel had several hours' warning before they reached Israeli airspace