The war cabinet convened again on Sunday, as depicted in this Israeli government handout, amidst the Iran-Israel war. |
Israel's top leaders recently gathered to discuss how to respond to Iran's surprise drone and missile attack.
He has not yet told the public if he has made a decision.
Israel's friends have strongly criticized Iran's actions, but have urged the government of Benjamin Netanyahu to remain calm.
Although Iran thinks the problem is over, Israel's military leader said he would not allow an attack to go unanswered.
"Our next moves will be carefully considered. Iran's firing of many missiles and drones at Israel will not be ignored," Lt. Gen. Herzi Halvi said.
Lt. Gen. Herzi Halvi did not say exactly what Israel plans to do or when.
Speaking on Knowledge News Radio 4's World Tonight program, former CIA chief David Petraeus said that the United States does not want Israel to retaliate against Iran in a way that would harm the global economy.
Petraeus, who led troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, called Iran's attack a "big deal" and said the West must understand how serious it is for Israel.
"The challenge now is that there are different opinions on what to do next. If oil prices suddenly rise or there are problems with shipping in the Gulf. Recently, an oil tanker was seized by Iran. There are already concerns about the takeover."
Now retired, Petraeus noted that within Israel's government, there is a debate about how to respond harshly without making things worse.
Petraeus also noted that Israel has some smart options to respond without escalating tensions.
Lt. Gen. Halvi spoke from the Nivatim air base in southern Israel, which was killed in the attack but, according to Israel, is still ongoing.
Iran said it launched the attack in response to an attack on its consulate in Syria on April 1, which killed a high-ranking Iranian military leader.
The Israeli military says more than 300 drones and missiles were fired at them. They claim to have killed almost all of them, with the help of the US, UK, France, and others, before they could do much damage. Fortunately, no deaths were reported.
Leaders around the world are concerned about the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, asking everyone to remain calm.
After the Iranian attack, US President Joe Biden spoke to Mr. Netanyahu and assured him of America's full support for Israel's security.
However, a senior White House official warned Israel on Sunday that the US would not be part of any retaliation against Iran.
"We are focused on achieving a ceasefire to bring the prisoners back and prevent the conflict from escalating," President Biden said on Monday.
On October 7, gunmen affiliated with Hamas attacked Israeli communities, killing approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians. They took about 250 hostages and brought them to the Gaza Strip. In response, Israel launched both an air and ground campaign. Sadly, more than 33,000 people, mostly civilians, have lost their lives in Gaza, as reported by the territory's Hamas-led health authority.
Addressing the tensions between Iran and Israel in the British Parliament on Monday, British Prime Minister Rishi Singh urged all parties to exercise restraint. He also expressed his intention to express solidarity with Mr. Netanyahu and find ways to prevent further escalation.
Violence continued to escalate in the occupied West Bank after the tragic death of an Israeli teenager named Benjamin Achimer. Benjamin was tending to a flock of sheep near Ramallah when he went missing last Friday. His body was later discovered by the Israel Defense Forces.
The Israeli government has described his death as a 'terrorist attack'.
The United States has criticized the retaliatory violence by Israeli settlers that resulted in the deaths of two young Palestinians, Jihad Abu Alia, and Omar Ahmed Abdul Ghani Hamid.
On Monday, Israel announced its intention to investigate the killing of two additional Palestinians by Israeli settlers near the city of Nablus.