Katz warns Israel will escalate strikes as Iran keeps firing at civilian population

Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Friday that Israel would “step up a level” and widen its strikes in Iran after fresh Iranian missile fire set off sirens in central and southern Israel, adding to earlier alerts in Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank and sending civilians back into shelters.

In a statement issued after a security assessment with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned “the Iranian terror regime” to stop firing missiles at Israel’s civilian population.

“Despite the warnings, the fire continues,” Katz said. “Therefore, IDF strikes in Iran will step up a level and expand to additional targets and areas that assist the regime in building and operating the weapons used against Israeli civilians.”