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Netanyahu briefs chief political rival in sign of rising tensions in region

Netanyahu publicly called for global action against Iran, while briefing a political rival with critical information generally reserved for the leader of the opposition in the Knesset.

By World Israel News Staff and AP

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered high-level defense aides to brief Benny Gantz, who remains his primary political rival in national elections in September.

The briefing related to the current security crisis involving Iran, and provides an indication of the seriousness of the threat Israel is currently facing of a multi-front war, reported The Times of Israel.

The officials who briefed Gantz were Netanyahu’s military secretary Avi Blut and National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office and cited by the Times.

Gantz previously served as IDF chief of staff.

Also on Monday, Netanyahu called on the international community to take action to prevent Iran from carrying out attacks against the Jewish state.

Netanyahu posted a short video on social media Monday saying Israel will defend itself “however that may be necessary.”

In recent weeks, Israel has allegedly bombed Iranian-backed groups in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. On Saturday, Israel acknowledged it struck Iranian “kamikaze” drones in Syria preparing to attack Israel.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who Israel said was personally involved in the planning of the drone attack, tweeted on Sunday, “These insane operations are absolutely the last tries of the Zionist regime.”

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Israel has remained mum on whether it was behind recent strikes in Iraq, but last week, U.S. officials reportedly confirmed that Israeli drones had carried out at least one strike against an Iranian target there.

Lebanon and Iraq have said that the attacks are “a declaration of war.”

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shi’ite terror group based in Lebanon, also says it will confront and shoot down any Israeli drones that enter Lebanese airspace going forward.