AMN / WEB DESK
According to some media reports Israel’s war cabinet is in favor of retaliation against Iran for its massive attack on the country, but members remain divided over the timing and scale.
Iran launched a large-scale missile and drone attack against Israel between Saturday and Sunday, which Israel says were mostly intercepted, with help from US forces and others.
In response to the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet on Sunday convened a meeting.
The specifics of the meeting have yet to be disclosed, but Reuters on Sunday reported that though the war cabinet “favors a retaliation,” it “is divided over the timing and scale of such response.”
Meanwhile, multiple Israeli media on Sunday reported that although the members of the war cabinet were in favor of an attack on Iran, the decision was canceled at the last minute.
The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported “the counterattack that was about to be carried out was canceled following a conversation between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”
Against this backdrop, Israeli forces on Monday announced that it is calling up about two reserve brigades for operational activities in Gaza.
It stressed continuous efforts and readiness to “defend the state of Israel and the security of civilians.” The statement comes as there is no progress in sight in negotiations on a truce.
US won’t be part of any Israeli retaliation against Iran
According to NHK, a senior official of US President Joe Biden’s administration has said that the United States “would not be part of any” Israeli response to Iran’s attack on Israel.
The official, speaking to reporters on Sunday, said Israelis are looking to protect and defend themselves.
The official said Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a teleconference on Saturday that the US will help defend Israel.
But the official also said the president told Netanyahu that “we do have to think carefully and strategically about” risks of escalation in the conflict.
Iran says it informed its neighbors and other countries of the operation against Israel about 72 hours in advance.
Another senior US official denied the claim by Iran. The official accused Tehran of not notifying the US of the attack, and having a clear intention to “destroy and to cause casualties.”
The official said US navy ships operating in the eastern Mediterranean destroyed between four and six Iranian ballistic missiles during the Iranian attack.
The official also said US alert aircraft in the region shot down more than 70 drones, and the US Army’s Patriot air defense system intercepted one ballistic missile assessed to be headed toward Israel.