Israel’s Security Cabinet to Vote on Response to Iranian Missile Attack Amid Escalating Regional Tensions

Israel’s security cabinet is scheduled to vote on Thursday on whether to grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant the authority to determine Israel’s response to the recent Iranian missile attack.

Iran fired approximately 180 missiles at Israel on October 1, claiming the strike was in retaliation for the assassinations of senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that the cabinet will convene to decide whether to empower Netanyahu and Gallant to lead Israel’s retaliatory action. On Wednesday evening, Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on the phone to discuss Israel’s next steps in dealing with Iran.

The Israeli army confirmed that some of its air bases suffered damage from the Iranian missile strikes. Gallant emphasised on Wednesday that Israel’s response would be “lethal, precise, and astounding.”

Tensions have intensified throughout the region following Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in over 42,000 deaths, primarily among women and children, after a Hamas attack last year. The conflict has also spread to Lebanon, with Israeli airstrikes killing more than 1,323 people and injuring over 3,700 since late September.

Despite international warnings of a potential regional war, Israel expanded the conflict by launching a ground invasion into southern Lebanon on October 1.