Netanyahu tells ministers to stop security-related comments amid escalating tensions

Benjamin Netanyahu told his government ministers on Monday to refrain from making public statements related to security issues. The Israeli prime minister made the move amid escalating tensions in the region, Anadolu has reported.

There are growing expectations in Israel of potential retaliatory attacks from Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah in response to the assassinations of senior figures, including Ismail Haniyeh, the political head of Hamas and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.

According to the Israeli broadcaster KAN, Netanyahu “warned his ministers against discussing security matters in the coming days, emphasising the ‘critical nature’ of the situation.”

The broadcaster said that Israel is preparing for a broader Iranian attack, potentially more extensive than the drone assault in April, which saw Israel targeted by dozens of missiles and drones.

“New assessments within Israel suggest that Iran remains determined to launch this attack despite recent indications that it might have backed down due to political pressures,” added KAN.

The current assessments suggest that Iran has planned a large-scale attack on critical strategic points within Israel, it said, noting that, “The exact timing of this Iranian attack remains unknown, but given the ongoing exchanges of threats between Iran and Israel, the coming days are expected to be very tense.”

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