Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a warning to Iran amidst increased threats from the Islamic Republic.
"For years Iran has been working against us both directly and through its proxies, and therefore Israel has been working against Iran and its emissaries, both defensively and offensively," Netanyahu said during the ongoing security cabinet meeting this evening (Thursday).
"We will know how to protect ourselves and we will act according to the simple principle that whoever hurts us or plans to harm us, we will harm them," the prime minister said.
Kan News reported that several Israeli embassies abroad were evacuated after a situational assessment by the Shin Bet and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the possibility of an Iranian revenge plot following the assassination of a senior member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hassan Mahdavi, in Damascus this week. Some of the Israeli representatives were moved to alternative locations and asked not to attend public events at this stage.
At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered some of Israel's embassies in the world not to open their doors tomorrow. The representatives were instructed not to go to the embassies and consulates and to stay in their homes.
This morning, the IDF announced that the leave of all combat soldiers was being canceled in light of the Iranian threats.
DF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari addressed the press on Thursday and spoke about the panic-inducing warnings by the head of the IDF Intelligence Directorate about a response to the elimination of senior figures of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria.
"For the past half year, we have been in a multi-front war and on high alert on all fronts. We look at the threats and foil them all the time. We are constantly assessing the situation and take everything that the enemy says seriously," Hagari stated.
He added: "We bolstered the preparedness of the combat units as needed, we reinforced the defense arrays, and we have planes ready for defense and offense in a variety of scenarios.
"IDF forces are spread out well in defense and offense arrays on all borders. We can not be complacent and at the same time, it is important to emphasize that there has been no change to the Homefront Command's instructions. If there is a change we will update about it. My only recommendation is to be vigilant and responsible and to follow if there are changes," he emphasized.