\u201cYou\u2019ve been through captivity training, which also prepared you for this ceremony,\u201d he quipped to the pilots.<\/p>\n
In his planned speech, Zamir had intended to say that hundreds of Israeli Air Force planes have been on standby for \u201cimmediate takeoff\u201d in recent weeks, as the military remains on high alert for developments across the Middle East.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven at this moment, we are closely monitoring developments in Iran and Lebanon and remain on high alert for immediate action,\u201d the prepared text of the speech read.<\/p>\n
\t Netanyahu\u2019s speech also touched on the Israeli offensive against Hezbollah, with the premier telling the graduating pilots that Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon for as long as they need to.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to guarantee the security of our communities in the north,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Lebanon is demanding that Israel fulfill its pledge to withdraw from two \u201cpilot zones\u201d in the nation\u2019s south and hand them over to the Lebanese military before it agrees to participate in the next round of direct talks, scheduled for next week in Rome. Israeli forces would still retain a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n Turning to the campaign against Iran, the premier repeated his oft-stated pledge that \u201cwith or without an agreement, Iran will not possess nuclear weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n He noted that the US military was \u201ca tremendous force multiplier\u201d for Israel.<\/p>\n Without mentioning it directly, Netanyahu also made an oblique reference to US President Donald Trump\u2019s announcement that he intends to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, one of Israel\u2019s most vocal critics and a NATO member state.<\/p>\n \u201cThe war is not over,\u201d said Netanyahu. \u201cAlongside old challenges, new ones continue to emerge. Old axes collapse, and new ones arise. We are preparing for every scenario. We know one thing: we must always remain stronger than our enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPreserving Israel\u2019s air superiority is a cornerstone of our national security doctrine. It is equally essential for maintaining stability in the turbulent Middle East,\u201d he said, echoing arguments he made this week against the sale. \u201cWe achieve this by continually improving both our people and our technology.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Katz, meanwhile, stressed that the IDF was \u201calert and prepared for the resumption of the campaign\u201d in Iran.<\/p>\n He told the graduating pilots that the military was prepared to \u201cregain air superiority and carry out \u2018blue and white\u2019 [independent Israeli] strikes in Iran to remove threats \u2014 even for a third time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf we need to return, we will return with even greater force,\u201d Katz vowed.<\/p>\n \u2018So they understand we\u2019re not f**king around\u2019<\/p>\n Netanyahu spoke Thursday with Trump, updating him on American military operations in the Persian Gulf, according to the Israeli readout of the phone call.<\/p>\n Netanyahu continued to highlight hostile statements made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a close ally of Trump, underscoring Israeli concerns over the potential F-35 sale.<\/p>\n The premier also stressed the necessity of Israel maintaining buffer zones along its borders, according to his office, amid reported progress on Israel withdrawing from so-called \u201cpilot zones\u201d in Lebanon that will be handed over to the Lebanese military.<\/p>\n Trump and Netanyahu agreed to continue coordinating across the region, said the Prime Minister\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Channel 12 reported on Thursday night that Israel was preparing for the possibility that Iran could expand its range of targets to include Israeli bases from which American aircraft have operated, such as Nevatim and Ramon.<\/p>\n There was ongoing coordination between the IDF and US Central Command on the matter, the report added.<\/p>\n But despite the appetite of Israel\u2019s political and military leadership for a new round of fighting with Iran, the report cited US officials as saying that Washington was not keen to bring Jerusalem back into the fray.<\/p>\n According to Channel 12, Trump was expected to convene his senior advisers and national security officials shortly to discuss Washington\u2019s next steps.<\/p>\n \t A US official told the outlet that the fighting could last anywhere between a couple of days and a month, depending on whether Iran continues attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to slap them a bit so they understand we\u2019re not fucking around,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n But the report said there was currently little desire in Washington for Jerusalem to enter the fighting.<\/p>\n Instead, one option under consideration is reimposing a US naval blockade on Iranian ports \u2014 a step Trump has publicly floated \u2014 though no decision has been made, the report said, adding that many officials around the president believe such a move would be the right course of action. The US first imposed a blockade after Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz following the launch of the war.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/p>\n \t\t\t
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\n\t\tIDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir speaks at a pilots\u2019 graduation ceremony at the Hatzerim Airbase, July 9, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WhatsApp_Image_2026-07-09_at_20.24.10-640x400.jpeg\")
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\n\t\tDefense Minister Israel Katz speaks at a pilots\u2019 graduation ceremony at the Hatzerim Airbase, July 9, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP26189603558046-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tPresident Donald Trump speaks during a media conference at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (AP Photo\/Emrah Gurel)<\/p>\n
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