The military chief of staff stated on Monday that Israel will retaliate for Iran’s missile and drone strike on Israeli territory over the weekend. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi declared, “This launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and drones into Israeli territory will be met with a response,” from the slightly damaged Nevatim air force base in southern Israel.
The Iran attack
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told his British colleague on Monday that while Iran does not seek higher tensions, it will strike against Israel swiftly and with greater vigor than previously, according to Iranian official media. Following Iran’s drone and missile strike, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced he will be speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly about how to avoid escalation in the area. Salah Bani Jaber, the mayor of Aqraba, said that two Palestinians were slain by Israeli settlers on Monday in the occupied West Bank region of Nablus. Israel has made “significant” progress, but according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, Hamas stands in the way of a settlement that would halt hostilities in Gaza and free the prisoners. The most recent suggested arrangement was rejected by Hamas, which has stated that any new hostage agreement must result in the cessation of the Gaza War and the evacuation of all Israeli soldiers.
Western allies’ response
In the Gaza Strip, Israel is establishing a 1 km “buffer zone” along the territory’s border with Israel, and within that zone, it has demolished over 3,000 houses. France will stop at nothing to prevent a worsening of the situation in the Middle East, according to President Emmanuel Macron of France. “We will do everything to avoid a conflagration, that is to say an escalation,” he said .In addition to calling for a limit to prevent an escalation, we must stand behind Israel to provide its utmost safety. The Netherlands said that it will reopen its embassy in Tehran on Tuesday following a two-day closure due to security concerns. The statement went on to say that it does not rule out another diplomatic closure. Four IDF troops were hurt overnight close to the blue UN line dividing Israel and Lebanon, the IDF reported. According to a statement, “an explosion of an unknown source” caused the injuries, and “the soldiers were evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment.”
France’s diplomatic engagement
As several Western nations pleaded with Israel to prevent a worsening of the Middle East crisis, the commander of Israel’s armed forces declared that his nation would retaliate for Iran’s strike over the weekend. In response to Iran’s missile and drone strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called his war council for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. Herzi Halevi, the chief of staff for the Israeli military, promised a response but gave no specifics. At the Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel, he declared, “This launch of so many missiles, cruise missiles, and drones into Israeli territory will be met with a response.” Iran conducted the attack in response to an Israeli raid on its embassy compound in Damascus earlier this month. This has raised concerns about the spread of violence originating from Israel’s war on Gaza and raised fears of outright confrontation between Iran and Israel.
Calls for de-escalation
Washington and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ pleas for moderation were echoed by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron. In the late hours of Sunday, Guterres declared, “Neither the region nor the world can afford more war.” “It’s time to diffuse and defuse this situation.” Russia has not publicly criticized its partner Iran over the strikes, but it voiced alarm about the possibility of an escalation and appealed for moderation. Iran deployed hundreds of drones and missiles during the strike, almost all of which, according to the Israeli military, were intercepted, prompting Belgium and Germany to call the Iranian embassies. With assistance from the US, UK, France, and Jordan, Israel’s Iron Dome defense system successfully brought down the majority of the missiles and drones.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The operation was in retaliation for an April 1 Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus, which claimed the lives of seven IRG Corps personnel, including two generals. Tehran’s strike against Israel in retaliation has raised fears that the bloodshed in the area may intensify. US President Joe Biden has informed Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington will not support an Israeli counteroffensive against Iran due to the risks involved.
