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Middle East conflict

Israeli Air Force ready to strike any time, nowhere is too far — commanding officer

Major General Tomer Bar mentioned the Israeli airstrike on Beirut that killed senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr

TEL AVIV, August 1. /TASS/. The Israeli Air Force is ready for any military scenario anywhere, and no target is too far, IAF Commanding Officer Major General Tomer Bar said.

He made the statement at a graduation ceremony for drone operators at the Palmachim Airbase near Tel Aviv.

The officer mentioned the Israeli airstrike on Beirut that killed senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr on July 30.

"This is another message to our enemies throughout the Middle East: We will act against anyone planning to harm the citizens of the State of Israel. There is nowhere that is too far for us to strike," Bar said in a statement from the Israel Defense Forces.

He stated that Israel in engaged in the longest war in its history since the War of Independence of 1948.

"The Israeli Air Force defends and operates in all arenas of the war, enveloping the State of Israel with dozens of aircraft, manned and unmanned, ready and prepared within minutes for any scenario, in any arena," Bar said.

According to the Israel, Shukr was the right-hand man of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and was responsible for such issues as missiles. According to the Israeli version, Shukr was responsible for the missile attack on the Golan Heights village of Majdal Shams that killed 12 people. Hezbollah denied involvement in the attack.

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