The United States has pledged to defend Israel from retaliatory attacks following strikes against high-ranking members of Hamas and Hezbollah.

“If Israel is attacked, we certainly will help defend Israel. You saw us do that in April; you can expect to see us do that again,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the media during a visit to the Philippines.

“We will work hard to make sure that we’re doing things to help take the temperature down, and address issues through diplomatic means,” he said.

However, diplomatic solutions may not be enough to prevent an all-out war after the deaths of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Shukr was a high-ranking and long-standing member of Hezbollah who was killed in Beirut by an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday. He was responsible for a deadly attack on a soccer field in the Golan Heights over the weekend that killed 12 children and injured over 30 individuals.

He was instrumental in developing Hezbollah’s precision-guided missile program, which has been used nearly every day since the war in Gaza began. Shukr oversaw Hezbollah’s military operations in southern Lebanon before Israel’s withdrawal in 2000 and later held a senior command position in Syria. Eventually, he rose to one of the top positions in the terror organization’s ranks, reporting directly to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Haniyeh, a mastermind of the October 7 Hamas massacre against Israel, was killed in an airstrike on Wednesday while attending a swearing-in ceremony for Iran’s new president. He ruled Gaza until 2017, when he was elected head of Hamas’ political bureau. After being exiled, Haniyeh played a major role in building up Hamas’ terror capacity by nurturing relations with Iran. In 2022, Haniyeh reportedly received $70m in military help from Iran to help destroy Israel.

Following his death, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to punish Israel.

“With this action, the criminal and terrorist Zionist regime prepared the ground for harsh punishment for itself, and we consider it our duty to seek revenge for his blood as he was martyred in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Khamenei said in a statement as per state-run IRNA News agency.

    Katherine Keyser July 31, 2024 3:36 pm

    Yea, like it promises to send the weapons and delaying it as usual, and cowardly stating by Blinken that US were not aware of Israel’s plans to revengebthrse 12 children and many still in hospital.

    Daniel July 31, 2024 7:11 pm

    To The US Senile Administration,
    Where are the munitions you bull shit promised Israel. I see that Obama has been whispering in your ears. Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep but you have already – here and now!!

    Benjamin August 1, 2024 3:19 am

    This situation seems incredibly tense. The U.S. commitment to defend Israel is clear, but with the recent high-profile deaths and Iran’s vow for revenge, it feels like things could escalate quickly. It’s reassuring to hear that there are efforts for diplomatic solutions, but I can’t help but worry about the potential for further conflict. Must see : https://hassampc.com/neural-dsp-crack/

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