A day after a Hezbollah drone penetrated Israeli air defenses and exploded next to Netanyahu's private residence, Netanyahu held a series of meetings with top security aides to discuss the next attack on Iran.
Plans for retaliation against Iran have been underway for three weeks, ever since Iran launched some 200 ballistic missiles into Israel following Israel’s assassination of an Iranian-backed militia leader.
Many Israelis were stunned by Saturday's precision drone strike on Netanyahu's coastal home north of Tel Aviv. Although Netanyahu and his wife were not home and no one was injured, he and his ministers said it was another reason why retaliation was necessary.
“There is no doubt that another red line has been crossed here,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Israel’s Channel 14 late Saturday. “We have to defeat Iran’s ability to pose a threat.”
As Israel considers its next move against Iran, Israeli Security Intelligence Director Ronen Bar traveled to Egypt to discuss the prospects of restarting ceasefire talks with Hamas, according to an Israeli official.
This was the first meeting between security chiefs since Hamas leader Sinwar was attacked by Israeli forces last Thursday. No further information was given on the outcome of the meeting.
U.S. President Joe Biden and his administration have said in the past few days that Sinwar’s killing should help speed up negotiations, while pressure on Netanyahu is growing at home, but hardliners allied to Netanyahu oppose concessions.
Iran, which is expecting an Israeli attack and has vowed to retaliate more fiercely, has denied any involvement in Saturday's drone strike on Netanyahu's home.
Perhaps because of coordination between the United States and Israel, the retaliation took longer than many expected.
Washington has urged Israel to avoid striking energy or nuclear facilities and has provided Israel with advanced anti-ballistic missile defense weapons in case Iran strikes back.
Some of Israel’s preparations for such an attack were detailed in a Pentagon document leaked over the weekend that appeared on the Telegram account of a pro-Iran group called Middle East Monitor, whose authenticity has not been verified.
On Sunday, Netanyahu's office said that while Israel would consider the US proposal, it would make its own decision. It is unclear when that decision will be made, or when retaliation will be taken. "No Iranian facility, military or civilian, and no one in Iran will be spared," Energy Minister Eli Cohen told Channel 14. "No one can sleep well at night."
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is running in next month's election, said at a campaign rally that Netanyahu had called him to say Israel was in a better position to fight back against Iran and its proxies following Israel's recent assassination of a militia leader.
Netanyahu continued to work on plans to attack Iran, consulting first with close advisers and then his security cabinet, after another day of intense military activity in Lebanon and Gaza on Sunday, the same day Hezbollah fired dozens of artillery shells into northern Israel.
Late last Sunday, Israel launched a military operation against Hezbollah's economic strongholds, specifically a financial institution used by the Iran-backed militant group and its leaders.
The Israeli military issued an evacuation warning to civilians as it attempted to strike targets associated with the Al Qard Al Hassan Association, an alternative banking system to Hezbollah that enables the Shiite group to operate. The association operates outside of Lebanon's legal banking system. A senior Israeli intelligence official said the strike was intended to target Hezbollah's ability to operate during the current war and later as it seeks to rebuild and rearm. The Israeli official said in the briefing that Iran transfers about $50 million to the group each month, much of it in cash through Syria. Thousands of Shiite Lebanese also use the Al Qard Al Hassan Association for their daily banking needs. In some cases, Israel says the money is also used to finance Hezbollah's emergency operations.
The Israeli military also said it struck a command center at Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters and an underground weapons workshop in Beirut.
In northern Gaza, health authorities said an overnight Israeli strike on the town of Beit Lahiya killed dozens of people. The Israeli military disputed the death toll but said it was hunting down Hamas operatives who had regrouped in the area.
The Israeli killing of Hamas leader Sinwar was seen by many as a potential turning point, a moment when fighting could give way to negotiations and diplomacy. Then, in the aftermath, fighting between Hezbollah and Hamas intensified.
Israel, meanwhile, expressed dismay that the Palestine Liberation Organization, led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, expressed condolences to Sinwar and called him a martyr and a "great national leader."
Netanyahu and his government say Abbas and his authority are just as hostile and violent toward the Jewish state as they are.
"We are not surprised," said Ophir Falk, Netanyahu's foreign policy adviser. "They have never condemned the October 7 massacre, and they have long praised the murderers of the Jews."
Article forwarded from: Jinshi Data
