Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a stark warning to Iran as he vowed to strengthen Israel‘s ‘defence and attack’ capabilities – telling troops today ‘whoever hurts us, we hurt him’.

Israel’s Prime Minister said that as well as his country being in the midst of the war in Gaza, which he said is ‘continuing in full force’, it is ‘also preparing for scenarios of challenges in other arenas.’

Israel has been bracing for possible Iranian retaliation for the killing of a senior general and six other Iranian officers in an airstrike on an Iranian embassy annex building in Damascus on April 1. 

While it has not claimed responsibility, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday that Israel ‘must be punished and it shall be’ for the attack.

Russia and Germany have now urged countries in the Middle East to show restraint – amid fears that tit-for-tat retaliatory strikes could spiral into a full-scale conflict.

The attack by Iran or its proxies against military and government targets in Israel are imminent, Bloomberg News reported citing intelligence sources, with one source saying it is more a matter of when, not if. 

Netanyahu made his comments as Israeli troops and warplanes started an operation in central Gaza overnight which the military said was aimed at destroying Hamas infrastructure.

Conflict has spread across the Middle East since the eruption of the Gaza war, with Iran declaring support for the groups waging attacks from Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq. 

Tehran has avoided direct confrontation with Israel or the United States, while declaring support for its allies. 

In an apparent attempt to reassure Israelis, Netanyahu told soldiers: ‘We are preparing to meet the security needs of the State of Israel, both in defence and in attack. I and the people of Israel trust you. And may we all have great success.’ 

As tensions continue to simmer in the region, German airline Lufthansa, one of only two Western carriers flying to Tehran, extended a suspension of its flights to the Iranian capital and Russia warned against travel to the Middle East.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian to urge ‘maximum restraint’ to avoid further escalation.

Russia’s foreign ministry told citizens they should not travel to the Middle East, especially to Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

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