War Cabinet favors retaliating

(JNS) — Israel’s War Cabinet on Sunday recommended retaliating to the first-ever direct Iranian attack on the Jewish state, although they were divided on the scope and timing of the response, Reuters reported on Monday, citing Israeli officials.

However, no final decision was made, per reports, and ministers were to reconvene at 2 p.m. Monday to continue deliberations. 

The Islamic Republic and its terror proxies launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday night, with Israel and its military allies shooting down most of them. Tehran said it was revenge for the alleged Israeli killing of a top Quds Force commander in Damascus earlier this month.

For its part, the U.S. military said on Monday that Central Command forces, supported by U.S. European Command destroyers, intercepted more than 80 attack drones and at least six ballistic missiles fired from Iran and Yemen at Israel. That represents around half of the 170 drones that the IDF said were launched at the Jewish state.

Israel’s War Cabinet has three members—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Minister-without-Portfolio Benny Gantz—and three observers: Minister-without-Portfolio Gadi Eizenkot, Shas Party chairman Aryeh Deri and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.

“We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us,” Gantz said ahead of the meeting, which lasted over three hours.

Gallant said that the Iranian attack offered an opportunity to form a strategic alliance.

The G7 leaders—of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the European Union—condemned the Iranian regime’s “unprecedented” attack on Israel “unequivocally” and “in the strongest terms” on Sunday.

Jerusalem is calling for the immediate recognition of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization along with punishing sanctions on Tehran.