Israel responds to Iran's actions with defence and offence, Netanyahu says

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that because of Iran's longstanding actions against Israel, Israel has been responding to Iran both defensively and offensively.

"For years Iran has been working against us directly and through its proxies, and therefore Israel is working against Iran and its proxies, both defensively and offensively," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.

"We will know how to defend ourselves and we will act according to the simple principle that whoever hurts us or plans to hurt us, we will hurt them," he said.