Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday visited an Israeli Air Force (IAF) base, sending a harsh warning to Israel's enemies.
During the visit, Netanyahu sent a video message warning against an attack on Israel.
"I am at one of the Air Force bases," he began. "I spoke with the base commander, and I was impressed by the readiness, the determination, and the capability to strike our enemies the moment it is required."
"I say to our enemies: Do not test us, you will suffer harsher blows than you have suffered up to now. And we all know what tremendous achievements we have had, thanks to our courageous pilots and aircrews, our ground crews, the IDF, and the Government of Israel. We are determined to defend ourselves. Do not test us."
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Monday morning held a multi-front situational assessment on the IDF’s preparations for the election period, attended by senior commanders.
At the beginning of the assessment, the Chief of the General Staff emphasized that the IDF’s mission is to enable the democratic elections to take place safely and as scheduled. He also stressed that the IDF remains on the highest state of alert and will maintain a high level of vigilance and readiness across all fronts.
In addition, Zamir instructed several additional measures to enhance readiness, among them a restriction on leave for IDF units, set to take effect this coming Thursday and subject to ongoing situational assessments.
Earlier, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Iran and its proxies may attempt attacks intended to influence the elections, although defense officials have said there is currently no concrete intelligence indicating that an attack is imminent.