Awad addressed Israel’s conflict between Hezbollah and Iran. Speaking on the conflict, Awad suggested, “Israel was surprised by the extent of the tunnels in Gaza and the military methods [of Hamas,] and it has adopted a new strategy for regional deterrence,” he said at the outset.

In the heart of civilian villages: Hezbollah’s weapon production

In the initial stage, according to Awad, “Israel severely hit Iranian shipment operations to the region and destroyed many weapon shipments that were on their way from Iran.

“In the next stage, warehouses in eastern Syria were attacked and destroyed. [The warehouses] contain[ed] weapons that could have been deployed to the border with Israel within hours. In fact, it undermined Iran’s supply lines to Hezbollah and Iranian militias in the region.

“All these actions may serve as a prelude to more significant activities, which may include the destruction of Hezbollah tunnels or at least disrupting the fortifications along the border with Lebanon, stretching over 79 kilometers, as well as in the Golan Heights area, which is expected to be much more challenging.”

Awad went on to clarify that “Geographically, the Golan Heights area – facing Shebaa Farms, is a tough terrain considered a Hezbollah stronghold. Israeli airstrikes will not be advantageous there, and Israel will need to show creativity in finding new operational tactics.”

In his remarks, he referred to the Mountains Brigade, which will begin its operations in the coming weeks – at the height of the war, and will operate in the sectors of Mount Hermon and Mount Dov.

“Forces in the Mountains Brigade participated in the 2006 war and come with a deep familiarity with Hezbollah’s tunnels,'” he said.

“In recent weeks, Hezbollah has begun building tunnels from Syria to Lebanon, aiming to transfer weapons from the arsenals, but at this stage, there is no benefit in tunnels. I estimate 70%-80% of the arsenals have been destroyed,” Awad theorized. “This is expected to delay any plan Hezbollah seeks to implement, and this may be Israel’s opportunity.”

Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.

“Terrorists understand only retaliatory terror,” Medvedev said. “No courts will help if force is not countered by force, and deaths by total executions of terrorists and repressions against their families.

“If it is established that these are terrorists of the Kyiv regime, it is impossible to do otherwise. All of them must be found and mercilessly destroyed as terrorists, including officials of the state that committed such an atrocity.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that a statement about a shooting near Moscow from the office of the UN Secretary-General had been too weak.

She said the statement, which spoke of being saddened by the violence, was insufficient.

Former president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev said, “Terrorists understand only retaliatory terror. No courts will help if force is not countered by force and deaths by total executions of terrorists and repressions against their families.”

“If it is established that these are terrorists of the Kyiv regime, it is impossible to do otherwise. All of them must be found and mercilessly destroyed as terrorists, including officials of the state that committed such an atrocity,” he told Russian state news agency TASS.

Ukraine denies involvement

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said on Friday that Kyiv had nothing to do with Friday’s attack by gunmen at a Moscow concert hall.

“Let’s be straight about this: Ukraine had absolutely nothing to do with these events,” Podolyak said in a video message posted on Telegram.

“We have a full-scale, all-out war with the Russian regular army and with the Russian Federation as a country. And regardless of everything, everything will be decided on the battlefield,” Podolyak said.

International reactions

The White House said that images of shooting in the Russian capital were hard to watch.

“The images are just horrible and just hard to watch and our thoughts obviously are going to be with the victims of this terrible, terrible shooting attack,” White House spokesman John Kirby said.

The US embassy in Russia warned earlier this month that “extremists” had imminent plans for an attack in Moscow.

The US Embassy in Moscow said on Friday it was shocked by a mass shooting near Moscow and expressed its condolences to the Russian people.

The embassy in a statement advised US citizens to avoid the area where the shooting took place.

Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, expressed condolences to the victims of the shooting. Navalnaya wrote on her account on the X social network that all those involved in this crime must be found and brought to justice.

Turkey condemned the shooting at the Crocus City Hall concert center on Friday near Moscow, calling it a terrorist attack, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a phone call, a Turkish diplomatic source said.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the attack at the concert hall near Moscow that killed at least 40 people, a spokesperson said on Friday.

“The Secretary-General conveys his deep condolences to the bereaved families and the people and the Government of the Russian Federation. He wishes those injured a speedy recovery,” Deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement.