Netanyahu warns Iran of ‘high price’ for attacks on Israeli civilians

Iran will pay a “very high price” for its deliberate attacks on Israeli civilians, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday while visiting the scene of an Iranian missile strike that claimed at least six lives.

“We will attain our goal and strike them a heavy blow. They will feel the strength of our arm,” Netanyahu said in Bat Yam to the south of Tel Aviv, according to remarks published by his office.

Two children were among the six killed by an Iranian missile that hit a residential block in the city in the early hours of Sunday. Emergency workers were searching the rubble for seven who remain missing.

“We are here, because we are in an existential struggle that is evident to every Israeli citizen. Just think of what would happen, if Iran had nuclear weapons that it could launch at Israeli citizens,” the prime minister said.

Iran’s missile programme also represented an existential threat to Israel, he said. “Just think what would happen if Iran had 20,000 missiles of this kind,” Netanyahu said.

According to official Israeli reports, at least 13 people have been killed and 390 injured by Iranian action in response to Israeli attacks since the early hours of Friday.

Iran has since launched another barrage of missiles at targets in Israel, according to reports by the Iranian news agency Fars.