Israel will respond ‘at time we choose’
Government is under heavy pressure not to escalate the conflict
Israel’s military chief said Monday that his country will respond to Iran’s weekend attack, but he did not elaborate on when and how as world leaders urged Israel not to retaliate, trying to avoid a spiral of violence in the Middle East.
The Iranian attack on Saturday came in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike two weeks earlier on an Iranian consular building in the Syrian capital of Damascus that killed two Iranian generals. It marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles at Israel in the attack. The Israeli military said that 99 per cent of the drones and missiles were intercepted, by Israel’s own air defences and warplanes and in coordination with a U.S.-led coalition of partners.
Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Monday that Israel is considering its next steps but that the Iranian strike “will be met with a response.”
The army’s spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israel will respond “at the time that we choose.” Both men spoke at the Nevatim airbase in southern Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been huddling with top officials to discuss a possible response. For a second straight day, the government made no announcements on any decisions.
While Israeli leaders have hinted at retaliation, the government is under heavy international pressure not to further escalate the conflict — especially after the Iranian strike caused such little damage.
The U.S. has urged Israel to show restraint as it seeks to build a broad diplomatic response. The Group of Seven advanced democracies issued a joint statement “unequivocally condemning in the strongest terms” the Iranian attack while expressing “full solidarity and support to Israel.”
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she’s urging Israel to de-escalate rising conflicts in the Middle East and not bomb Iran in retaliation for this past weekend’s thwarted airstrikes.
The U.S., Britain and Jordan — a key American ally in the region — have all said their air forces helped intercept the Iranian missiles and drones. Halevia said France and “other partners” were involved, and he noted that “Iran’s attack has created new opportunities for co-operation in the Middle East.”
The Iranian weapons also flew through Saudi skies, according to a map released by the Israeli military. Israel says most of the interceptions took place outside of Israeli airspace, indicating at least tacit cooperation with the Saudis.