Bennett: Israel Decided to Hit Head of Iranian Octopus

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks during a news conference. (AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks during a news conference. (AFP)
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Bennett: Israel Decided to Hit Head of Iranian Octopus

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks during a news conference. (AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks during a news conference. (AFP)

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced that Israel decided to change its policies towards Iran, by hitting the head of the Iranian octopus instead of its arms in the region.

Speaking to Israeli media seven months after his government was formed, the Israeli PM said for decades, the Iranian octopus, with its head in Tehran, is wrapping Israel with its arms, including Hezbollah in the north, the Islamic Jihad and to some extent Hamas in Gaza, the Shiite militias on the border with Syria, and others in Iraq, Yemen and Libya.

"We have a cold war by one side only – they hit us, and we don't hit them back. We're changing that equation. We're working every angle to weaken Iran,” Bennett stressed.

When asked whether his government will announce a war against Iran, he said, “We have to be ready for everything.”

Bennett announced that his cabinet has allocated an important budget to strength the Israeli army, and get the best weapons for the soldiers.

The PM said Iran is in a difficult situation and very weak, warning the US and western leaders that Iranians are negotiating a deal in Vienna to receive money and strengthen their regime.

He stressed that the problem of Israel with Iran is not limited to the nuclear talks, but includes the wars that Tehran launches in the region.

The PM said this is why Israel has warned the Americans and the rest of the world about the dangers of reaching a deal with Tehran.

“Even if a new deal is signed, Israel won't be obligated to it. We aren't part of it, and Israel will retain full freedom of action in any situation. I'm implementing that daily and not only in words, but also in actions,” he said.

Bennett also announced that Israel will keep taking action and won't give up.

“It's no coincidence we stepped up the number of airstrikes in Syria, as well as the kind of strikes and quality of the targets. This is making things difficult for Iran,” he added.



7 More Turkish Soldiers Die from Methane Gas in Iraqi Cave, Raising Deaths to 12

FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies on a passenger ferry with the Bosphorus in the background in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies on a passenger ferry with the Bosphorus in the background in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
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7 More Turkish Soldiers Die from Methane Gas in Iraqi Cave, Raising Deaths to 12

FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies on a passenger ferry with the Bosphorus in the background in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer
FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies on a passenger ferry with the Bosphorus in the background in Istanbul, Türkiye, January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

Seven more Turkish soldiers have died from methane gas poisoning following a cave search operation in northern Iraq, Türkiye's Defense Ministry said Monday, bringing the death toll to 12. The soldiers had been searching for the remains of a fellow soldier previously killed by Kurdish militants.

The troops were searching a mountain cave when 19 of them were exposed to the gas, according to the ministry. Five of the soldiers died Sunday from the colorless, odorless, flammable gas that can cause asphyxiation in sufficient concentration, and seven more succumbed on Monday, Reuters reported.

“We pray for God’s mercy upon our heroic martyrs who lost their lives in this tragic event,” the ministry said Monday, also expressing hope for a rapid recovery for other troops that were affected.

It said Defense Minister Yasar Guler and armed forces' commanders were traveling to the region to carry out “inspections and evaluations” and attend a ceremony as the soldiers were flown to their hometowns for burial.

Speaking at the ceremony, Guler commended the troops' “great courage and sacrifice,” adding: “Our grief is immense and our feelings are beyond words.”

The ministry said the incident took place in the “Claw-Lock Operation region” — a reference to an operation launched against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq in April 2022.

There was no immediate information on the condition of the seven other soldiers who were affected by the gas.

Türkiye and the PKK have waged a 40-year conflict that has often spilled over into Iraq and Syria. Türkiye has set up a series of bases in northern Iraq, where the PKK has been established for decades.

The PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by Türkiye and most of the West, announced in May that it would disband and renounce armed conflict as part of a new peace initiative with Türkiye.

Its fighters are expected to begin handing over their weapons over the next few days in the first concrete move toward disarmament.

According to the ministry, the Turkish unit overcome by methane gas had been searching for the remains of an infantry officer killed by “terrorist gunfire” during a search-and-clear mission in May 2022. Recovery teams have been scouring the area for the past three years.

The cave where the incident occurred sits at an altitude of 852 meters (2,795 feet) and had previously been used by the PKK as a field hospital.