April 16, 2024 (EIRNS)—Israel’s war cabinet reportedly made the decision yesterday to hit back “clearly and forcefully” against Iran for its missile and drone attack on April 13, Saturday night, according to the Times of Israel, which cites an unsourced report from Channel 12 TV news. The response will be designed to send the message that Israel “will not allow an attack of that magnitude against it to pass without a reaction,” the report said. The response will also be designed to make plain that Israel will not allow the Iranians to “establish the equation” they have sought to assert in recent days. This, the Times of Israel said, appears to be a reference to Iran’s warning that future Israeli strikes on Iranian territory, including its international diplomatic premises, will henceforth again be met by Iranian retaliatory strikes on Israel.
The report also claimed that Israel does not want its response to spark a regional war, or to shatter the coalition that helped it defend against Iran’s attack. It further said that Israel intends to coordinate its action with the U.S.
Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, writing in Axios, reported yesterday that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on April 14 that Israel has no choice but to strike back. Gallant reportedly told Austin that Israel can’t allow ballistic missiles to be launched against its territory without a response, according to both a U.S. official and the source briefed on the call. Israel won’t accept an equation in which Iran responds with a direct attack every time Israel strikes targets in Syria, Gallant added.
