Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the nation on Wednesday, July 31, following the targeted killing of a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut and the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Netanyahu warned of “challenging days ahead,” asserting that Israel is “prepared for any scenario” amid concerns of the Gaza conflict potentially expanding. He stated that Israel has recently delivered “crushing blows” to its main proxies — the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah. He highlighted the strike on Hamas military leader Muhammad Deif in Gaza, the recent attack on Hodeida port in Yemen, and last night’s operation against Fuad Shukr, whom he referred to as “Hezbollah’s chief of staff.” However, Netanyahu did not mention Ismail Haniyeh, maintaining a notable silence on that matter.
Netanyahu accused Shukr of being directly responsible for the murder of 12 children in Majdal Shams and various attacks across Israel’s northern border. He also linked Shukr to the 1983 attack on US Marines in Lebanon and his role in maintaining ties between Iran and Hezbollah. Netanyahu emphasized the strong bond between Druze and Jews, calling it a “covenant of life” that has been reinforced recently.
“We settled our score with [Hajj] Mohsin,” Netanyahu said, referring to Shukr’s alias, “and we will settle our score with anyone who harms us. Everyone who targets our children, murders our citizens, or harms our country — their blood is on their own head.”
Earlier, Netanyahu convened a meeting of the Security Cabinet, responsible for defense-related decisions, at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. He asserted, “Israel will charge a very heavy price for any aggression from any arena.”