Israel on High Alert as it Weighs Response to Iranian Attack
Israel is on high alert following an unprecedented Iranian missile and drone attack on its territory. The Israeli government has signaled that it will not immediately act unilaterally, with two members of the three-man war cabinet hinting at a more measured, longer-term approach to retaliating against Iran’s first direct attack on Israeli soil. The US officials have assessed that the Iranian salvo, which included over 100 ballistic missiles, could have been catastrophically destructive had they not been intercepted by Israel’s defenses. The successful interception by Israel, with the aid of its allies, is seen as a significant victory that has averted an even more dire scenario. The Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, framed the successful defense against the Iranian attack as an opportunity to build a new “strategic alliance” against Iran. Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s wartime unity government, stated that Israel would “build a regional coalition and exact th...