Iran International sources in Israel say Israel's alleged strike on Revolutionary Guard commanders in Syria was a retaliatory measure against Iran's recurrent proxy attacks since October 7, including a Monday attack on Israeli port town Eilat.
Iran-backed Hamas from Gaza invaded Israel on October 7, sparking the bloodiest Gaza war since Hamas took over the strip in 2007. Most recently, according to the Israel Defense Forces, a drone believed to be launched from Iraq hit a hangar in a naval base in Eilat early Monday morning.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, representing various IRGC-backed factions, claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as targeting a "vital target" in Israel.
The city of Eilat has been subjected to attacks by other Iran-backed groups amidst the conflict in the Gaza Strip, including Yemen’s Houthis and a Syria-based group linked to Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Last month, a missile from Yemen breached Israel's Iron Dome air defense system, landing near Eilat.
In response, sources suggest that Israel was behind the attack on the Islamic Republic's consulate building in Damascus on Monday, resulting in the deaths of senior commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi and other IRGC officials.
While Israel never comments on such allegations, Iran's state media reported that the operation in Damascus also claimed the lives of six Syrian citizens in addition to seven IRGC members.
According to the report, at least 13 people lost their lives in Israel's strike on the Islamic Republic's consulate building in Damascus.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel’s goal is to “act everywhere, every day to prevent the force build-up of our enemies.”
“We are in a multi-front war, in offense and defense. We see evidence of this every day, including in recent days,” he said at a meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
Gallant said Israel is also working “to make it clear to everyone who acts against us, all over the Middle East, that the price for acting against Israel will be a heavy price.”