Israeli Defense Minister Has declared a “Strong Defence” against Israel and the “Second Amendment” to the Oslo-Arab War in Gaza
In the six months since Oct. 7, Israel has bombarded Gaza and conducted a devastating ground invasion that has left much of the territory in ruins and more than 33,000 Palestinians dead, according to Palestinian health officials.
Since the outbreak of war between Israel and the Gaza-based militant group Hamas in October, officials around the world have expressed concern.
Biden told Netanyahu that the US would not participate in offensive operations against Iran and that it was committed to defending Israel. Biden has made clear he does not want the war in Gaza to lead to a broader regional war.
Israel’s defense minister said on Saturday that Iran is a terrorist state, hours before the launch. “We are determined to defend our citizens against this terrorism, and we know how to respond to it.”
Israeli officials told residents living in communities near the Gaza and Lebanon borders to limit the size of gatherings and work indoors or within reach of a shelter as anticipation grew over a possible retaliation. Schools across Israel were closed through Monday.
Iranian officials said the attack was in response to an airstrike from earlier this month that hit Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria. Two generals and seven other Iranian military officials were killed.
The White House confirmed the launch in a statement that President Biden would watch the attack from the Situation Room with top defense and diplomatic officials.
Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Anything that harms us, we shall destroy them.” Iranian Launch of the Thermonuclear Barrage on Saturday
“We have determined a clear principle: Whoever harms us, we will harm them. Netanyahu said they would defend themselves against any threat with determination.
In a Saturday night address to Israelis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country was ready for “any scenario, both defensively and offensively.”
Iran launched a massive barrage of over 300 drones and missiles at Israel over the weekend — in what is believed to be Iran’s first direct attack on its regional foe from Iranian soil.
The drones would take hours to arrive in Israeli airspace, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said. He warned Israelis to stay in safe rooms for 10 minutes if sirens in their areas go off.
According to Jeffrey Lewis, a member of the International Security Advisory Board at the U.S.State Department, Iran has been developing missiles that could carry around a ton of explosives.
The weapons Iran used on Saturday can travel much farther, and some of them can travel much faster. Israel said that almost all of the missiles and drones fired by Iran were destroyed, with help from U.S. forces.
Islamic Jihad and Hamas used 122-milimeter rockets of the Grad family, as well as the Syrian-made M-302 rockets, in their previous attacks on Israel. Hamas also has Fajr-5 rockets from Iran and a similar, locally made version of the Fajr-5, both with a range of about 50 miles.
According to his post, different versions of that missile have also been provided to the Houthis in Yemen and to the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces.
What to Know About Iran’s Nuclear and Nuclear Attacks on the Israel Middle East and Implications for the Security and Security of the Middle East
It should show that Iran is no match for the Jewish state, especially if the United States is lending a hand. If Israel goes after Iran with direct strikes on its nuclear, oil and military infrastructure it is not likely to miss its targets.
Governments in the Middle East, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, also issued statements expressing concern and calling for restraint so as not to exacerbate tensions in the region.
The UN Secretary-General said he was deeply alarmed about the danger of a region-wide Escalation, after condemning Iran’s attack.
In a statement Sunday, G7 leaders said that Iran had further destabilized the region and that they stood in solidarity with Israel. The G7 is made up of the United States, Canada, Italy, Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the European Union.
Republicans will include language that “holds Iran and its terrorist proxies accountable”, according to a statement by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
In Congress, House Republicans are making changes to their legislative schedule for this week to consider a yet-to-be-revealed proposal that would further support Israel.
Israel and its allies also intercepted almost all of the weapons. However, a few of the Iranian ballistic missiles made it through the defenses, severely injuring a 7-year-old girl and slightly damaging a military base in southern Israel, according to Israeli officials.
Iran’s “operation” against Israel had ended and there would be no more attacks, according to the official website of the Iranian military.
In the days leading up to the attack, the U.S. and Israel closely coordinated their air defense preparations. The Iranian barrage was described as at the “high end” by an official in the U.S.
“Arrow 3proved itself against a number of missiles,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari.
Israel and Israel’s response to the Hamas attack on the Sept. 7 Gaza attack: a U.N. embassy statement
A 7-year-old Bedouin girl underwent surgery after suffering a head injury in the attack, the Times of Israel and Haaretz reported. Hagari confirmed the reports.
The Iranian foreign minister said that they notified the US ahead of time that the strike would not aim at American personnel in the region. U.S. officials, however, said there was no notification from Iran prior to the attack on where weapons would be targeting.
Israel said it struck a Hezbollah site in southern Lebanon, which the militia claimed was an munitions production site.
Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire across the border with Lebanon regularly since the surprise Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza. Iran has long supplied Hamas with funds and weapons but the White House has not directly linked Iran to the Oct. 7 attack.
Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. called for sanctions to be imposed on Iran before it was too late. Israel has the right to retaliate after this attack crossed every red line.
Israel’s war cabinet gathered to talk about how they would respond to the Iranian attacks. The Israeli leadership has not yet indicated what shape its response might take.