While the world awaits Iran's response to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political bureau in Tehran, pro-Iranian media outlets are attempting to explain the week-long delay in the "punitive attack" on Israel.

The Lebanese newspaper "Al Akhbar," which is associated with the terrorist organization Hezbollah, published a series of commentary articles under the headline "Delay or Haste, the Punishment Will Come, Don't Be Mistaken." The newspaper's editorial promises a "quantitative rain" of missiles and heavy involvement from Hezbollah in retaliation.

"The change in the situation allows various factions of the resistance the ability to surround Israel from the air with missiles and drones, in what is termed a 'quantitative rain,' aimed at causing destruction, alongside a 'qualitative attack' targeting governance-related sites from all sides," the newspaper stated.

Other articles focused on the readiness of the Houthis in Yemen to participate in Iran's retaliatory attack, as well as the U.S. policy towards Iran.

In Iran's news agencies, it seems the issue of an Iranian response is hardly being discussed. The conservative "Tasnim" news agency published a lengthy article addressing Israel's reasons for assassinating Haniyeh without mentioning Tehran's immediate threat of retaliation.

The "Aftab-e Yazd" newspaper, representing the political center in the Islamic Republic, dedicated its main article to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's promise not to violate the sovereignty of other countries in the region, along with additional threats of an attack on Israel.

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Arabic-language social media was filled with images and videos of Hezbollah's rocket attack on the town of Majdal Shams in the northern Golan Heights. Alongside expressions of joy from Hezbollah supporters, there were numerous angry reactions to the killing of the town's residents.

According to many commenters, the residents of Majdal Shams, Druze citizens of Israel, are "occupied Syrian residents" and their killing demonstrates the organization's disregard for the lives of Druze and Syrians.

"The Party of Satan specializes in killing Syrians and loves to kill children," wrote Samir, a Syrian citizen who supports the rebels against the Assad regime.

"Hezbollah, a terror resistance, kills Syrians," wrote Awarim Suwaidan, known as "Abu Khalil," who frequently expresses support for the Syrian rebels and Turkish involvement in Syria on his Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Wisam Zawamot, a Lebanese citizen living in Germany, wrote: "Allah's curse on the criminal Hezbollah, child murderers."

On the other hand, Muna Al-Qatani, a Palestinian living in Paris, wrote: "The Druze are agents and traitors. They enlist in the occupying army."

The residents of Majdal Shams do not enlist in the IDF, and many of them refuse to accept Israeli citizenship. A user named Yasmin was quick to blame Israel for the incident, claiming that a flaw in the Iron Dome system caused the hit on Majdal Shams.

The Hezbollah attack occurred at 18:18, and according to reports, the terrorist organization fired dozens of rockets at northern Israeli settlements. The Lebanese network Al-Mayadeen, affiliated with Hezbollah, claimed that the barrage included more than 100 rockets fired over the course of an hour to the Galilee Panhandle and the Golan Heights.

Analyst Amjad Taha, based in the UAE, condemned this evening "the barbaric attack by Lebanese Hezbollah on Israeli children and youth at a soccer field! In Majdal Shams, a town of the Druze minority. Israel has the right to defend itself against this evil. The world needs to protect against the heinous act of Iran's proxy in Lebanon. Where are the children's rights organizations?"

IDF Arabic Spokesman Avichay Adraee said: "Hezbollah has been lying and denies its connection to the incident. Our intelligence is clear - Hezbollah is responsible for the killing of innocent children. Hezbollah has once again exposed its ugly face as a terrorist organization."

Druze politician close to Hezbollah, Wi'am Wahhab, added: "Our blood is not cheap; we demand an independent investigation involving the UN to reveal the circumstances of the massacre in Majdal Shams."

The Lebanese government also responded to the shooting, telling Reuters: "The Lebanese government condemns attacks against civilians and calls for an end to hostilities on both sides of the front."

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stated that "Hezbollah's denial of what happened in Majdal Shams confirms its commitment to the rules of the struggle."

Druze-Lebanese politician Walid Jumblatt responded this evening: "We reject attacks on civilians in Palestine, the occupied Golan Heights, and southern Lebanon. We warn against attempts by the Israeli enemy to ignite a civil war and divide the region. We stand with the resistance and the resistance fighters facing the crimes of the occupation."

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The IDF said Wednesday that soldiers killed an armed man suspected of entering the country from Lebanon and blowing up a car, raising the risk of renewed tensions with Hezbollah.

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The security situation in Israel prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cut in half his planned two-day visit to Germany this week, his office said. The incident unnerved Israelis, who questioned on social media and elsewhere how someone with explosives could travel dozens of kilometers inside Israel and set off a roadside bomb before being detected.

The army said soldiers stopped a car carrying the bombing suspect at a checkpoint Monday shortly after a roadside explosion seriously injured a driver near Megiddo Junction in the country's north. The suspect was wearing a suicide vest and had a rifle and a gun when he was stopped near the border with Lebanon. The army said it shot and killed the man and is questioning the driver.

The army said the device exploded at a 90-degree angle, which is unusual for the area. That led officials to suspect that the man infiltrated from Lebanon and may have been linked to Lebanon's terrorist Hezbollah group.

The army said it did not release the details of the incident for two days because it was trying to determine the suspect's identity, which it did not release. Netanyahu received a briefing on the incident Wednesday, which his office said led him to shorten his trip to Germany. The trip also was delayed, Israeli media reported, by negotiations over a proposal to overhaul Israel's judicial system, which has prompted massive protests.

A Hezbollah spokesman in Beirut did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. But in a speech last week, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Israel was growing weaker. "There is no security, there is no stability and there are no guarantees of the future," he said.

Israel and Hezbollah are bitter enemies that fought a monthlong war in the summer of 2006. Israel considers the Iran-backed Shiite terror group its most serious immediate threat, estimating that Hezbollah has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.

Israel's northern border with Lebanon has remained quiet but tense since the 2006 war.

But Israel discovered four years ago what it said was a network of tunnels built by Hezbollah along the border. Israel also frequently attacks targets in Syria, saying they are Iranian weapons deliveries headed to Hezbollah.

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President Reuven Rivlin met with Abdallah Chatila, a Lebanese-born Swiss businessman who purchased artifacts that once belonged to Adolf Hitler. Chatila purchased the items at an auction two weeks ago and wanted to ensure that they would be turned over to an organization that will use the artifacts to help educate the public of the horrors of the Holocaust.

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Some of the items he purchased included Hitler's top hat and a cocktail dress worn by his lover Eva Braun.

"Your donation is of great importance at this time, when people are trying to deny historical truth. These artifacts, which you are generously making available to Yad Vashem, will help convey the legacy of the Holocaust to the next generation who will not meet survivors," Rivlin told Chatila.

The president added, "what you did was seemingly so simple, but this act of grace shows the whole world how to fight the glorification of hatred and incitement against other people. It was a truly human act. I know you have been thanked many times, but it was important for me to say it loud and clear here at Beit Hanassi [the President's Residence] in Jerusalem – we appreciate it and thank you for it very much."

World Chairman of the Keren Hayesod – United Israel Appeal (UIA) organization Sam Grundwerg and Chairman of Yad Vashem Avner Shalev were also there to show their appreciation.

Chatila told Rivlin that when he heard the artifacts were for sale, his initial thought was to buy and destroy them.

"Then I thought I have no right to decide what to do with the items, and am so glad they are now at Yad Vashem. I feel a shiver when I understand how important this is for the Jewish people," he said, "but I think there is a wider message for the whole world, that 'never again' is not a meaningless slogan. Through acts such as this, we can ensure that these things never happen again."

Shalev echoed Rivlin's gratitude and said, "What you did as a spontaneous act ensures that these artifacts do not end up in the wrong hands. You stopped that, and brought them to the place where history is told and where the next generation is educated. Thank you very much."

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