Israel’s Retaliation to Iran’s Missile Attack Promises to be Deadly and Surprising, Defense Minister Warns

Featured & Cover Israel’s Retaliation to Iran’s Missile Attack Promises to be Deadly and Surprising Defense Minister Warns

Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, issued a stern warning on Wednesday regarding his country’s response to a recent Iranian missile strike, promising that the retaliation would be both “lethal” and “surprising.” This warning came amid an ongoing Israeli military operation in northern Gaza and a simultaneous ground offensive in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah militants. The situation remains tense as Israel considers a broader response to Iran’s attack, which took place earlier this month.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday, their first in seven weeks, to discuss Israel’s planned response. A White House press secretary confirmed that the call included deliberations on how Israel would proceed with its retaliation against Iran, underscoring the escalating tensions between the two nations.

This cycle of violence, ignited by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, has continued with Israel intensifying its military actions. Israeli forces have expanded their ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon while also weighing a major retaliatory strike on Iran, following Iran’s October 1 missile barrage. Gallant emphasized that Israel’s response would catch its enemies off guard, stating, “Our strike will be lethal, precise and above all, surprising. They won’t understand what happened and how. They will see the results. Whoever strikes us will be harmed and pay a price.”

Iran’s missile attack, which consisted of dozens of missiles, was partially thwarted by the United States, which assisted Israel in defending against the barrage. President Biden, however, has indicated that he does not support a retaliatory strike targeting Iranian sites related to its nuclear program.

Hezbollah’s Role and Attacks on Israel

On Wednesday, Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon, claimed responsibility for a rocket attack that killed two civilians in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. The town’s acting mayor, Ofir Yehezkeli, identified the victims as a couple who had been out walking their dogs when the rockets struck.

The ongoing conflict has seen a rise in casualties on both sides. In northern Gaza, heavy fighting has been reported in Jabaliya, a refugee camp that dates back to the 1948 war that accompanied the founding of Israel. Jabaliya has become a focal point for Israeli military operations, with Israeli forces conducting major offensives there. The region has been devastated by the conflict, and Gaza City has been largely isolated by Israeli forces since late 2023.

Desperate Conditions for Civilians in Gaza

Residents in Jabaliya describe a dire situation, with thousands trapped in their homes amid intense fighting. Mohamed Awda, a resident living with his family, shared the harrowing conditions, saying, “It’s like hell. We can’t get out.” He explained that bodies lay in the streets, unable to be retrieved due to ongoing battles between Israeli troops and militants. “The quadcopters are everywhere, and they fire at anyone. You can’t even open the window,” Awda added.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 40 bodies had been recovered from Jabaliya between Sunday and Tuesday, with another 14 bodies found in northern communities. The ministry noted that there are likely more bodies buried under the rubble in areas that are currently inaccessible.

Jabaliya residents fear that Israel’s broader plan is to depopulate the northern part of Gaza, turning it into a military zone or potentially a settlement for Jewish communities. According to local accounts, Israel has blocked all roads leading out of Jabaliya except for a single highway heading south.

“People here say clearly that they will die here in northern Gaza and won’t go to southern Gaza,” said Ahmed Qamar, another Jabaliya resident, via text message.

Hospitals in Gaza Under Strain

Hospitals in Gaza are struggling to cope with the influx of wounded civilians, and the health sector is on the brink of collapse. Fadel Naeem, the director of Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza City, reported that his hospital had been receiving a constant stream of patients, many of whom are severely injured or dead. “We declared a state of emergency, suspended scheduled surgeries, and discharged patients whose conditions are stable,” Naeem told the Associated Press in a text message.

The fighting has made several hospitals in northern Gaza nearly inaccessible. The Gaza Health Ministry stated that three major hospitals—Kamal Adwan, Awda, and the Indonesian Hospital—have been ordered to evacuate by the Israeli army. Humanitarian aid to northern Gaza has also been halted since October 1, according to U.N. reports, worsening the humanitarian crisis.

Israel, however, denies halting the coordination of aid. The country’s authority overseeing humanitarian efforts in Palestinian territories stated that it has not blocked the entry or coordination of humanitarian supplies into northern Gaza.

Despite Israel’s claim that its military operations are solely aimed at militants, the high civilian death toll has continued to mount. Israel has long accused Hamas of using civilian areas as shields, resulting in numerous casualties among non-combatants. Israeli forces initially called for the evacuation of northern Gaza, but many residents chose to stay, and now face the devastating consequences of the ongoing conflict.

Escalation with Hezbollah in Lebanon

While the situation in Gaza remains dire, Israel is also waging a parallel military campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. On Tuesday, Netanyahu issued a warning to the Lebanese people, saying that Lebanon could suffer the same fate as Gaza if Hezbollah’s activities continue.

Israel’s military has launched numerous airstrikes across Lebanon in recent weeks, targeting Hezbollah rocket launchers and other militant infrastructure. On Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike hit a Lebanese Civil Defense center in the town of Dardghaya, killing five civil defense members stationed there. Elie Khairallah, a spokesperson for the civil defense, confirmed the deaths, including that of Abdullah Al-Moussawi, head of the Tyre Regional Center. Just a week earlier, Al-Moussawi had expressed concern about the increasing danger his team faced from Israeli airstrikes but had remained hopeful that international protections for medics would extend to his group.

Another Israeli airstrike on Wednesday targeted a hotel in the southern Lebanese town of Wardaniyeh, killing four people and wounding 10 others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. An Associated Press reporter nearby heard two sonic booms from Israeli jets before the explosion, and smoke was seen rising from the hotel following the strike.

Hezbollah’s military activities have been a significant factor in the conflict, with the group firing over 12,000 rockets, missiles, and drones at Israel in the past year. Verified video footage obtained by the Associated Press also showed Israeli soldiers raising an Israeli flag in a village in southern Lebanon, underscoring the symbolic and strategic importance of the ongoing ground offensive.

With the conflict showing no signs of abating, Israel’s military actions, both in Gaza and Lebanon, are likely to continue. As the situation develops, the possibility of further escalation, particularly concerning a retaliatory strike against Iran, looms large on the horizon.

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