Threats from Iran

Israel and the USA prepare for a major attack

Joe Biden assures Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his full support.(Bild: AP/Evan Vucci)

Following the killing of the political leader of Hamas in Tehran, Israel and the USA are preparing for retaliatory strikes by Iran and its allies.

US President Joe Biden assured Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone of US support "against all threats from Iran", including its terrorist proxy groups - Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi in Yemen, the White House announced.

Biden: Killing of Haniyeh not helpful
Biden emphasized the importance of efforts to de-escalate the situation in the region. He did not include the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the militant Palestinian organization Hamas, which was attributed to Israel.

Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif was "eliminated" by Israel.(Bild: AFP/Israeli Army)

Fuad Shukr's body has been found after the Israeli army attacked the highest-ranking commander of Lebanese Hezbollah.(Bild: AFP/APA/HEZBOLLAH MILITARY MEDIA OFFICE)

According to the New York Times, the leader of the Islamist Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed by a bomb explosion.(Bild: APA/AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Biden: "It does not help"
This was not helpful in achieving a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Biden said on Thursday. When asked whether the killing of Haniyeh had destroyed the chances of a ceasefire in the Gaza war, Biden replied: "It doesn't help."

Netanyahu had previously warned Iran and its allies against an attack. "We will exact a high price for any act of aggression against us, wherever it may come from," he said.

News of Haniyeh's death broke just hours after an Israeli airstrike in a suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.

Meanwhile, in response to a suspected Israeli attack in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah said it had fired dozens of rockets at Israel. According to Lebanese information, at least four people were killed in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon.