On Thursday evening, the Israeli Security Cabinet is set to convene for a critical meeting to discuss the response to Iran’s missile attack that occurred on October 1st.
According to officials cited by the New York Times, the Cabinet is expected to authorize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to “launch a retaliatory strike.” The report states that top ministers, including Netanyahu, will deliberate on the “comprehensive retaliation plan” during the meeting.
In addition, the Axios news outlet revealed that Netanyahu will hold the meeting with the Security Cabinet to vote on “a significant military action against Iran.”
Israeli officials have indicated that the retaliation is expected to be substantial and may involve a combination of airstrikes targeting military objectives in Iran along with covert operations, similar to the attack that killed Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of Hamas, in Tehran.
Simultaneously, Yoav Gallant stated on Thursday that the strike on Iran would be “lethal, precise, and surprising.”
Netanyahu also had a phone conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday. A source told Axios that the call was essential to “establish boundaries for Israel’s response.” According to an aide to Netanyahu, “once the decision to strike Iran is made, Netanyahu will want to brief Biden on the matter.”