Israeli military halts leave for all combat units fearing escalation in violence

Israel’s military halted leave for all combat units on Thursday, it said in a statement, amid concerns of a possible escalation in violence after the killing of Iranian generals in Damascus this week drew threats of retaliation.

“In accordance with the situational assessment, it has been decided that leave will be temporarily paused for all IDF (Israel Defence Forces) combat units. The IDF is at war and the deployment of forces is under continuous assessment according to requirements,” the military said in a statement.

On Wednesday, the military said it had drafted reservists to boost aerial defences. Reuters witnesses and Tel Aviv residents reported on Thursday that GPS services had been disrupted, an apparent measure meant to ward off guided missiles.

Iran has vowed revenge for the killing of two of its generals along with five military advisers in an airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic compound in the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday.

It was widely believed to be an Israeli attack, one of the most significant yet on Iranian interests in Syria, which Israel has neither confirmed nor denied and which carries the risk of further inflaming the region.