‘Whoever harms us, we will harm them,’ PM tells Air Force pilots; US CENTCOM commander arrives in Israel to observe offensive preparations and multi-layered defense; Assad reportedly refuses to allow Iranian response from Syrian soil against Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel prepared “both defensively and offensively” for any attack on it as Iran threatens retaliation for the assassination high-ranking Revolutionary Guard in Damascus earlier this month. Netanyahu made the remarks during a visit to the Tel Nof Airbase in central Israel where he with members of the 133rd Squadron, which operates F-15 fighter jets.

He received a briefing from the base’s deputy commander and the squadron commander about their war efforts, telling pilots, “We are in challenging days. We are amid the war in Gaza, which continues with full force. Meanwhile, we persist in our efforts to return our captives but are also prepared for scenarios involving challenges from other fronts.”

“We’ve established a simple principle,” Netanyahu added. “Whoever harms us, we will harm them. We are ready to respond to Israel’s security needs, both defensively and offensively. The people of Israel and I trust you, and may we all have great success.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command Commander General Michael Kurilla landed in Israel on Thursday and is set to meet IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi at the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv to closely observe Israel and the United States’ offensive readiness and multi-layered defense, and to tighten coordination in these two areas as part of preparations for a potential Iranian attack. On Friday, Kurilla is scheduled to meet with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

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