WATCH: From a legacy of service to a voice for Israel: Mansur Ashkar on Operation Rising Lion and IRGC retaliation

ALL ISRAEL NEWS is proud to present weekly videos from Mansur Ashkar, an Israeli-Druze citizen rooted in the land of Israel. Ashkar was raised with a deep love for the country, inspired by his grandfather, Mohsen Daghash – the first high-ranking Druze officer in the IDF, a close friend of Yitzhak Rabin, and the first non-Jewish person to light a torch at Israel’s Independence Day ceremony in 1975.

Given this legacy, it’s no surprise that Ashkar has become one of the most beloved voices speaking on behalf of Israel since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

As recent tensions have escalated in the Middle East, Israel launched a surprise strike on Iran in the early hours of Friday, June 13, prompting the nation to brace for swift retaliation from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Israel's strike has been given the name Operation Rising Lion.

The IRGC responded quickly.

As of this publication, at least 10 people in Israel have been killed and around 200 wounded as a result of Iran’s retaliation.

In this video with ALL ISRAEL NEWS, Ashkar - an IDF officer and former special forces soldier - reviews key developments in the current operation and discusses some of the hardest-hit areas, including Tel Aviv and its surroundings, with the most severe destruction reported in the coastal city of Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv.

According to a statement released by the IDF, the Israeli military has “struck over 170 targets and more than 720 military infrastructure components in less than three days” in Iran.

As a reminder, the Israeli public is urged to continue following all directives from Home Front Command until the operation is concluded.