Netanyahu convened his war cabinet on Monday for the second time in less than 24 hours to consider a response to Iran's unprecedented weekend attack, a government source said.
A military vehicle near the Israel-Gaza border on April 15, 2024. Photo: Reuters
Israeli army chief of staff Herzi Halevi said the country would respond, but did not provide details. “The launching of so many ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones into Israeli territory will be met with a response,” he said at the Nevatim air base in southern Israel, which suffered some damage in Saturday night’s attack.
Israel remains on high alert, but authorities have lifted some emergency measures, including a ban on some school activities and restrictions on large gatherings.
Iran launched the attack in retaliation for what it said was an April 1 Israeli airstrike on its embassy compound in Syria and said it was not seeking to further escalate the conflict.
While the attack did not cause any fatalities or major damage, it raised fears of a full-scale war between the two longtime Middle Eastern foes and raised concerns that violence stemming from the Gaza war was spreading.
US President Joe Biden told Mr Netanyahu over the weekend that the US, which helped Israel intercept the recent Iranian airstrike, would not participate in Israel's retaliatory strike.
“We are on the brink and we have to get away from it. We have to put the brakes on and put it in reverse,” Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, told Spanish radio station Onda Cero.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also made similar calls. The US administration and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for restraint.
“We do not want to see a war with Iran. We do not want to see a conflict in the region,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing on Monday, adding that Israel would decide for itself “whether and how it responds.”
Russia also called for restraint from all sides. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Further escalation is not in anyone’s interests.”
However, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the G7 was working on a package of coordinated measures against Iran. “I have spoken to my fellow G7 leaders, and we are united in condemning this attack,” he told the British parliament.
The Iranian attack prompted at least a dozen airlines to cancel or reroute flights. Europe's aviation regulator reiterated advice that airlines should exercise caution in Israeli and Iranian airspace.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Tehran had informed the US that the attack on Israel would be limited and in self-defense, and that regional neighbours had been given 72 hours notice, although the US has denied this.
Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, CNN, AP)
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