Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shelved pre-prepared plans for retaliation against Iran’s weekend barrage after speaking with US President Joe Biden immediately following the attack, Israeli television reported Wednesday.
According to the Kan public broadcaster, the cabinet had already approved a series of possible responses depending on the scope of the Iranian attack, which were slated to be carried out immediately following the Iranian fusillade early Sunday.
“The response won’t be what was planned any longer, diplomatic sensitivities won out,” a senior source was quoted telling the broadcaster. “There will be a response, but it seems it will be different from what was planned.”
The report noted the comments likely pointed to a weaker response than what had been approved.
Kan also quoted unnamed Western diplomats saying that “the understanding is that Israel will respond.”
The Ynet news site reported that most of the Israeli leadership and military brass support an attack on Iran in response, but some were opposed, led by Shas leader Aryeh Deri, who publicly spoke out against allowing the situation to escalate earlier Wednesday.
Iran launched more than 300 missiles, drones, and rockets at Israel over the weekend, in what it said was retaliation for a deadly strike on what Tehran claims as a consulate in Damascus that killed two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps generals and several other officers. Nearly all of the projectiles fired at Israel were intercepted, and there was little damage.
A separate report Wednesday by the Axios news site said the war cabinet also considered green-lighting a strike on Iran during a meeting Monday, but later decided not to “for operational reasons.” According to the report, which cited Israeli and US officials, Israel informed the Biden administration after the meeting that it decided to hold off on a response.
“We are not sure why and how close it was to an actual attack,” a US official was quoted as saying.
The reports came ahead of expected meetings Thursday of the the war cabinet and and high-level security cabinet. The Ynet news site said deliberations would likely focus on a possible response to the Iranian attack, moribund talks with Hamas for a hostage deal and Gaza truce, and fighting with Hezbollah in the north.
The war cabinet has already met several times since the Iran to discuss a response, amid international pressure for restraint.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Doron Gavish, the former commander of Israel’s air defense who is now serving in reserves, said Wednesday that the air force was preparing for future attacks from Iran, with Tehran threatening an immediate response should Israel retaliate.
He said the Israeli Air Force has been reviewing its successful defense against Iran’s attack over the weekend as it makes adjustments for potential additional fighting.
“We are preparing ourselves for the next time, debriefing the mission and seeing how could we prepare ourselves for the next attack,” Gavish said from a military base in southern Israel.
Agencies contributed to this report.