Israel's military has halted the departure of all combat units amid concerns over a possible escalation of violence after the killing of Iranian generals in Damascus this Sunday prompted threats of retaliation, Reuters reports.
"In accordance with the assessment of the situation, it has been decided to temporarily pause the leave for all combat units of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces)," the army said in a statement.
"The IDF is at war and the deployment of forces is under continuous assessment as required," it added.
On Wednesday, the military said it had recruited reservists to bolster its air defenses.
Reuters reporters and residents of Tel Aviv said today that GPS services had been disrupted, a measure to repel the guided missiles.
Iran has vowed revenge for the killing of two of its generals along with five military advisers in an airstrike on the Iranian diplomatic compound in the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday.
It was widely believed to be an Israeli attack, one of the most significant so far on Iranian sides in Syria, which Israel has neither confirmed nor denied and which carries the risk of further igniting that region.
Israel has been waging its war against Hamas for six months, after the Palestinian Islamist group led an attack on southern Israel on October 7, and has also exchanged fire almost daily with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Reuters writes that Iran has so far avoided entering the conflict directly, supporting allied attacks on Israeli and American targets.
Amos Yadlin, Israel's former intelligence chief, said Iran could choose this Friday - the last of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and Iran's Quds Day - to respond to the strike in Damascus, either directly or through proxies.
"I won't be surprised if Iran reacts tomorrow. Don't panic. Don't run to shelters," said Yadlin, a senior fellow at the Belfer Center at Harvard University's Kennedy School.
"Prepare for tomorrow and then, depending on the consequences of the attack, it could escalate," Jadlin said.
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