In a Cabinet meeting on Sunday, ministers were told the attack would be “very soon” and significant…reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Cabinet ministers have been informed that a planned counter-attack against Iran will take place “very soon”, state media has reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed in early October that his country would retaliate after Iran launched around 180 ballistic missiles toward Israel on October 1, in response to the assassinations of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. However, the timing of the Israeli attack remained unclear.
In a Cabinet meeting on Sunday, ministers were told the attack would be “very soon” and significant, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Israel’s state-owned Kan TV.
The report came on Monday hours after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile defence system in Israel in addition to about 100 US soldiers to operate it.
US President Joe Biden had urged Israel to exercise restraint to avoid escalating a broader Middle East conflict, expressing concerns over strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and energy infrastructure.
Iran warned that it would retaliate against any Israeli missile attack.
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IDF mourns commander’s death
Israeli leaders mourned on Sunday the death of one of the highest-ranking army officers, Col. Ehsan Daqsa, killed since the Gaza ground war began.
Col. Ehsan Daqsa, who commanded the Israel Defense Force’s 401st Armored Brigade, was killed in battle in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza.
“Ehsan was a hero of Israel, a warrior, and a commander — a role model for the bond with the Druze community. He dedicated his life to the security of Israel and its citizens. I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Huda and their children, Omri, Reef, and Yasmin. We are all praying for the recovery of our brave wounded,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Daqsa and another battalion commander were critically injured by an explosive device when they exited their tanks to do a tactical observation.
Airstrike in Damascus
Two civilians were killed and three others wounded in an Israeli airstrike targeting a civilian vehicle west of the capital Damascus, said the Syrian Defence Ministry.
The strike on the vehicle located near the Golden Mazzeh Hotel in the eastern part of the Mazzeh neighbourhood also caused material damage to surrounding properties, the ministry said on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Syrian state television said that the attack was an act of “aggression,” whereas Britain-based watchdog group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights attributed the strike to an Israeli drone, indicating it may be part of the “ongoing assassinations” linked to Israeli operations in the region.
The Israeli side has yet to comment on the attack, Xinhua news agency reported.
Israeli military strikes on Syria have increased recently, targeting locations Israel claims are used by Iran-backed militias operating in the war-torn country.
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