Israel calls up reserves amid threats from Iran.

After IRGC says deadly attack on Israel imminent, military bolsters air defense deployment; Gallant says a war in the north would be a challenge for Israel but catastrophic for Hezbollah;

Yoav Gallant

The IDF on Wednesday said it was calling up reserve troops to bolster the military's air defenses amid threats from Iran to retaliate for the killing of senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps general Mohammed Reza Zahedi in Damascus earlier this week, in a strike attributed to Israel, the military increased its alert in expectation of a retaliatory attack.

Earlier Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel must be prepared for any threat from enemies near and far. "We are increasing our preparedness and at the same time expanding our operations against Hezbollah and others who are threatening us," he said during a drill by the IDF's Home Front command in Haifa.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday vowed that there would be revenge for the Quds Force commander's death and on Wednesday, the IRGC issued another warning  that a deadly attack would be “carried out soon. The resistance front will do its duty.”

Mohammed Reza Zahedi

Gallant said the result of battles is determined by what is inflicted on the enemy but also on what the enemy inflicts on us. "If G-d forbid there is war, we must make sure that the number of casualties is as small as possible, and the amount of damage is minimal while the damage to the other side is as much as possible.

We are not seeking war with Lebanon and I can tell you that such a war will be a difficult challenge for Israel, but it would be catastrophic for Hezbollah and for Lebanon, not least for Beirut and the south."

IDF says contacted by Hezbollah operatives fearing Lebanon might share Gaza's fateArmy's Arabic spokesperson says Lebanese users have tried reaching out to Israeli authorities through him in attempt to prevent all-out war, directs them to Mossad.

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