“At war against the axis of evil.” IDF victims in Lebanon –

“We will respond, we know how to spot important targets, we know how to strike with precision and power.” Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi vowed revenge for the massive missile attack launched by Iran on Tuesday evening and justified as a “legitimate and necessary action that targeted only military bases”. In fact, the IDF had to admit that some of the more than 180 rockets that rained down on Tel Aviv managed to pierce the Iron Dome defense system and hit air bases, damaging offices and maintenance areas but leaving all the aircraft intact and fully functional. A possible reaction from Israel will however be decided after consultations with the Biden Administration. Iran is already studying a counter-response: Iranian sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Tehran has a plan ready for “several cycles” of other “more intense and serious” attacks in the event of a reaction from Iran. Idf. “A broad response will not be delayed”, the sources assured, revealing what the authorities of the Islamic Republic had already assumed.

Army chief Mohammad Bagheri announced raids “on entire infrastructures”, while the former commander of Iran’s Qods Force, Ahmad Vahidi, threatened: “If the Zionist regime makes a mistake, we could demonstrate that we can raze Tel Aviv to the ground in a single night.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is more cautious, underlining that he is not looking for a war, and his US counterpart Joe Biden, who made it known that he would not support a bombing of Tehran’s nuclear sites.

The tone of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyah was much harsher: “We are in the middle of a harsh war against the axis of evil of Iran, which is trying to destroy us. This will not happen”, he assured, addressing the nation after the news of the death of 8 soldiers in fighting in southern Lebanon. These are the first victims among the Israeli ranks after their incursion into the Land of Cedars which, according to the Beirut government, moved up to 400 meters from the border before retreating. Both Hezbollah and the IDF have reported “close range” fighting, and the Lebanese group appears to prevail for now. “Israel’s air superiority will translate into losses on the ground”, said the head of Hezbollah’s press office, Mohammad Afif, underlining that the group has “enough fighters, weapons and ammunition to repel Israel”.

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has declared UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres ‘persona non grata’, banning him from entering the country. Katz supported his decision by stating that “anyone who cannot unequivocally condemn Iran’s criminal attack on Israel does not deserve to set foot in Israel.” “This secretary general hates Israel and supports terrorists, rapists and murderers,” he then attacked, “Guterres will be remembered as a stain on the history of the United Nations.” For his part, the UN secretary limited himself, during a Security Council, to once again asking for a ceasefire and a stop to “the disgusting cycle of escalation after escalation that is leading the people of the Middle East straight towards the precipice”. “The fires raging in the region are rapidly turning into an inferno, time is running out,” he added, assuring that UNIFIL forces will remain in place along the Blue Line, despite Tel Aviv’s request to relocate them.