After a meeting with a top German official, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday morning that Iran fired a drone with explosives at Israel.
“I described during our meeting that while we’re fighting on various fronts, the true backer of much of this aggression is Iran,” said Netanyahu. “Iran not only supports completely the Islamic Jihad in Gaza and gives them all the financing, they also give weapons to Hamas, as well as to Hezbollah. And they provide the scaffolding on which these organizations really work.”
“While we were engaged in these hostilities, a few days ago, Iran sent an armed drone to Israel from Iraq or from Syria. Iranian forces launched a drone, armed drone, which our forces intercepted on the border between Israel and Jordan,” he continued. “And that, I think, says everything on the true patron of terror in the Middle East and in the world, Iran.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met this afternoon, at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, with German Foreign Minister @HeikoMaas and showed him an Iranian UAV that had been downed in the Beit Shean area. pic.twitter.com/gXWItAuQjv
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) May 20, 2021
President Joe Biden has a history with Iran, given the Obama administration sent $1.7 billion to the terroristic regime. The news of Iran’s activity comes on the heels of talks in the White House of reentering the Iran nuclear deal. The Obama administration rolled back sanctions on Iran and the U.S. Justice Department released foreign spies, some of whom were known threats to national security.
The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed Wednesday that Lebanon forces launched a rocket attack, to which Israel retaliated. The Times of Israel reported that there have been three Lebanon-based rocket attacks on northern Israel, although none have led to fatalities or injuries. No damage has been incurred either.
“Following the previous report regarding the sirens which sounded in the Lower Galilee and Krayot area, four rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory,” said the IDF. “The Iron Dome Aerial Defense System intercepted one of them and the rest most likely fell in open areas. In response, IDF Artillery are striking a number of targets in Lebanese territory.”
Last week, the IDF took out a member of Hezbollah — a terrorist group backed by both Iran and Lebanon. The man was Lebanese. “Operation Guardian of the Walls” was launched by the IDF to combat terrorism from Hamas and other groups.
In an update of operations, Israel announced that about 4,070 rockets have been fired toward Israel from Gaza and 610 launches fell in Gaza unsuccessfully. 90 percent of rockets have been intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome Air Defense System.
Biden told Netanyahu the U.S. government seeks a cease-fire amid the conflict, but the prime minister said he will “continue to” retaliate against terrorism. The IDF affirmed this Thursday.
“Jews. Muslims. Christians. Druze. Over the last 11 days, Hamas has fired rockets indiscriminately at all Israeli citizens,” the IDF said. “In response, we have been precisely targeting the source of terrorism in Gaza—and we will continue to do so.”
