Enlarge image

Battle tanks in the Gaza Strip: "The Israeli army is at war and the formation of the armed forces is constantly being adjusted according to needs"

Photo: Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP

In view of the tense security situation, Israel has temporarily stopped vacations in all combat units. "The Israeli army is at war and the formation of the armed forces is constantly being adjusted according to needs," the army said in a statement. The decision was made in accordance with an assessment of the situation. It was initially unclear whether this referred to the new tensions with Iran or the situation in the Gaza war.

Reservists called up for the Air Force

The Israeli army announced on Wednesday evening that it wanted to mobilize missile defense reservists. After an assessment of the situation, it was decided to increase the number of personnel and call up reservists for air defense. The army did not explicitly state the reasons for this. Israeli media reported that the background was threats from Tehran.

After a suspected Israeli airstrike on an Iranian embassy building in the Syrian capital Damascus that left several people dead, Iran announced another retaliation on Wednesday. The attack “will not go unanswered,” said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

Two brigadier generals and five other members of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed in Monday's attack. According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, six Syrian citizens were also killed.

The IRGC is Iran's elite military force and is considered more powerful than its conventional armed forces. Iran's Foreign Ministry assumes that arch-enemy Israel carried out the attack. The US government also believes that Israel is responsible. Israel did not comment on the incident.

Israel's air force repeatedly bombs targets in neighboring Syria in an attempt to prevent Iran and its allied militias such as the Lebanese Hezbollah from expanding their military influence in the country. Attacks have increased since the Gaza war began almost six months ago. Since then, there have been international fears that the conflict could escalate into a regional war.

muk/dpa