Temporary Cancellation of Leave for Israeli Combat Units; Iranian Proxies in Syria on High Alert

On Thursday, April 5, the Israeli army temporarily canceled the leave of all its combat units. According to a statement from the Israeli army, this decision was made 'based on the current situation assessment' as 'the Israeli army is at war and troop deployment is continuously being assessed based on requirements.' On Wednesday, April 4, the Israeli army also announced that it had called up reserve forces to strengthen air defense. Meanwhile, Reuters journalists and residents of Tel Aviv reported disruptions in GPS services on Thursday. According to Reuters, this action is intended to counter guided missiles. Additionally, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors developments in the country's civil war, reported on Thursday that Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militias across Syria are on high alert. This is the first time since the onset of the conflict between Israel and Hamas that Iranian-affiliated militias in Syria have been ordered to be on high alert. Tensions between Jerusalem and Tehran have escalated following an attack attributed to Israel on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of seven senior members of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the commander of the Quds Force (Lebanon and Syria branch), and his deputy, Mohammad Hadi Haj Rahimi. Tehran has blamed Israel for this attack, and senior Iranian officials, including Ali Khamenei, the leader, have threatened that this attack will not go unanswered. A social media account attributed to Ali Khamenei posted in Hebrew on Wednesday, threatening that Israel would regret its 'crime of aggression against the Iranian consulate in Damascus.' Israel has refrained from commenting on attacks attributed to it against Iranian positions and its proxies in Syria, following its usual practice. After the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel and the commencement of ground and air operations aimed at destroying this group, other Iranian-affiliated militias in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, which Tehran refers to as the 'resistance axis,' have carried out attacks against Israel and U.S. forces. Despite abundant evidence, the Islamic Republic denies supporting these militias but has consistently praised their attacks. Amos Yadlin, former head of the Israeli military intelligence agency (Aman), told Reuters that the Iranian government may choose the last Friday of Ramadan, known as 'Quds Day,' to respond to the deadly attack on its consulate in Damascus. According to him, the Islamic Republic's reaction to this attack could be direct or through its proxy groups. Yadlin, a former commander of the Israeli Air Force, stated that depending on the consequences of a potential attack, current tensions between the Islamic Republic and Israel could escalate. The Palestinian group Fatah has accused the Islamic Republic of attempting to 'spread chaos' in the West Bank. Barbara Slavin noted that the attack on Damascus was one of the boldest Israeli strikes against Iranian targets. Discussions with experts on the attack on the Iranian consulate indicated a clear message from Israel. Gallant stated that the price of threatening Israel is heavy. An analytical report from Reuters outlined the Iranian government's options for 'revenge against Israel,' all of which carry risks. The U.S. stated that the Iranian Foreign Minister's claims of 'U.S. involvement' in the attack on the Iranian consulate building are 'absurd.' Reactions to the attack on the Iranian consulate included a user remarking that the government strikes in Iran's parks and suffers in the streets of Damascus. Axios quoted a U.S. official stating that the United States had 'no involvement' in the attack on the Iranian consulate. The terms 'revenge' and 'harsh punishment' have returned to the rhetoric of Iranian officials following the deaths of IRGC commanders in Syria. A senior IRGC member among the casualties of the 'Israeli' attack was Mohammad Reza Zahedi, 'commander of the IRGC in Syria and Lebanon.'