Tel Aviv, June 13 -- A day before Israel launched strikes on Iran on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu placed a note at the Western Wall with the verse, "A people that rises up as a lioness, and as a lion lifts himself up."

Netanyahu shared a picture of the note on the wall, known as the Wailing Wall or Kotel, on his social media platform X, a sacred Jewish religious site located in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Early this morning, Israel launched what it called a "pre-emptive operation" on Iran targeting the latter's nuclear program.

In a video statement Netanyahu announced ta "very successful opening strike" carried out by Israeli forces. He said Israel through its large-scale military operation that he named 'Rising Lio...