Israeli army says Iran is primary war arena, Gaza secondary front: Report

The Israeli army said Saturday that Iran has become its primary theater of combat, overtaking Gaza as the military’s focus, as Israeli air strikes intensify across Iranian territory, Anadolu reports.

According to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, military officials said roughly 150 targets inside Iran were struck by air force jets over the past 24 hours.

The Israeli army said it “created a safe route to Iran’s capital, Tehran, and that they can now operate freely in its airspace.”

This shift in priority, the army said, “is in the hope of bringing the hostages back as quickly as possible,” referring to captives held in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack.

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Israel estimates that 54 hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive. Meanwhile, more than 10,100 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons under harsh conditions, with reports of torture, starvation and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli rights groups.

Israeli forces were also quoted as saying that they are “preparing for defense against Hezbollah,” though the group is not currently mobilizing for combat.

Earlier, Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Air Force Commander Tomer Bar said “the path to Iran is paved,” announcing new air strikes on Tehran.

Israel launched a large-scale air strike against Iran early Friday, targeting nuclear sites and missile bases, and killing senior military commanders and nuclear scientists.

Later that evening, Iran retaliated with a series of missile and drone attacks.

Iran says Israel has killed at least 78 people and wounded more than 320 others, as attacks continued on Saturday for a second day.

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