Netanyahu: Israel is in a 'Multilateral War' with Iran

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, stated in his cabinet meeting that Israel is currently in a 'multilateral war' with Iran and its proxy forces. This comes as the United States and its allies prepare to defend Israel against a potential retaliatory attack and to prevent a more destructive regional conflict. On Sunday, August 5, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel is ready for any scenario. He also mentioned in a separate speech that Iran and its affiliates intend to place Israel under a 'suffocating siege of terrorism.' Netanyahu added, 'We are determined to stand against them on all fronts and fields, near or far.' He warned that anyone who seeks to harm Israel will 'pay a very heavy price.' Meanwhile, the Jordanian Foreign Minister made an unprecedented visit to Iran as part of his country's diplomatic efforts, while the Pentagon has moved significant equipment to the region. Nearly 10 months into the Gaza war, tensions in the region have escalated following the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander abroad and the assassination of the political bureau chief of the extremist group Hamas in Iran. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and European countries. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau, was killed on August 1 in a residence in northern Tehran due to 'short-range projectile fire.' He had traveled to Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Masoud Pashakian and was assassinated hours later. On Sunday, the deputy intelligence chief of the Quds Force stated that there was no 'infiltration' in Iran's security institutions during Haniyeh's assassination. Iranian officials and their allies blame Israel for this assassination and have threatened retaliation. Meanwhile, Hamas has stated that it has begun investigations to select a new leader. John Feiner, the Deputy National Security Advisor at the White House, told ABC News that the United States is doing everything it can to prevent the situation in the Middle East from worsening. Concurrently, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the importance of reducing ongoing tensions in the Middle East during discussions with G7 foreign ministers on Sunday. The U.S. Secretary of State and foreign ministers also discussed ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire that would guarantee the release of Israeli hostages and potentially increase humanitarian aid to Gaza. The situation in Israel and Gaza has intensified following Haniyeh's killing. In Israel, people have built underground shelters to counter potential threats. This action followed an unprecedented military attack by Iran in April, in response to an attack attributed to Israel that resulted in the deaths of two Quds Force commanders in Damascus. Israel announced that it intercepted nearly all drones and ballistic and cruise missiles fired from Iran toward Israel in late April. Additionally, the Israeli emergency medical service known as 'Magen David Adom' and a nearby hospital reported that in a knife attack that occurred on Sunday, August 5, near Tel Aviv, a 70-year-old woman and an 80-year-old man were killed, and two other men were injured. Police stated that the assailant, a Palestinian militant, was neutralized. The Israeli army also announced that it targeted Hamas command centers in two schools in Gaza named 'Al-Nasr' and 'Hassan Salameh.' One doctor at Al-Ahli Hospital, Fadel Naim, told the Associated Press that they received eight corpses, and the rest were transferred to Sheikh Radwan clinic. In other Israeli attacks, at least 18 people were killed in Gaza. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, under Hamas, one of these attacks hit a tent camp of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the courtyard of 'Martyrs of Al-Aqsa' hospital, killing four people, including a woman, and injuring several others. An Associated Press journalist filmed men searching for bodies and trying to extinguish the fire at the scene. The Israeli army stated that it targeted a Palestinian militant in this attack, but secondary explosions occurred, indicating the presence of weapons in the area. The city of Deir al-Balah hospital, the main active medical center in central Gaza, reported that in a separate attack on a house near this hospital, a girl and her parents were killed. Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry announced that another attack in northern Gaza leveled a house, killing at least eight people, including three children, their parents, and their grandmother. According to civil defense forces operating under Hamas, three others were also killed in an attack on a vehicle in Gaza. The Israeli army reported that Hamas members in Gaza fired at least five projectiles toward Israeli forces near the border without causing casualties or damage.