Israel is considering responding to the Iranian attacks of Saturday in an unprecedented development in the Middle East crisis.
The attacks of Saturday night marked a departure from years of proxy wars between the two sworn enemies.
Iran had had to exercise strategic patience over its crisis with Israel since its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came to power in 1989.
Ali Khamenei’s ascension into power in the wake of the brutal Iran-Iraq war has seen Iran adopt a “strategic patience” in its hostility towards Israel, on what it calls the ‘Zionist regime’.
There has never been direct confrontation between the pair despite frequent shadow wars. Israel regards Iran as the world’s greatest sponsor of terrorism and the US regards Tehran as a destabilising force in the region.
But with first blood drawn following the drones and launch of ballistic missiles on Israel, it marked the first time the two countries would go head to head following Iranian accusation that Israel was responsible for the 1st April attacks on its embassy in Syria that killed scores of its military officials including a commander.
Spokesman of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari in a televised statement, said Iran launched a “massive swarm” of more than 200 killer drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles to overwhelm Israel’s Iron Dome defence.
He however pointed out that Israel’s defence systems intercepted the “vast majority” of the missiles and drones, dozens of which he says were shot down outside of Israeli territory.
An injury was recorded. Israel’s ambulance service said paramedics were treating a seven-year-old girl who was injured by shrapnel from falling debris in the Bedouin area of the Arab region.
In a telephone conversation with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, US
President Joe Biden reaffirmed America’s “ironclad” commitment to Israel in the call.
“I told him Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks,” the president said.
He added that Israel has sent “a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel,” by defending itself in such an unprecedented manner.
As the domestic front quietens to a new era in the region, the IDF has said “some restrictions have been lifted” on movement inside Israel.
Following the direct attack which the IDF said some missiles landed in Israel “where minor damage was caused to infrastructure,” there are fears that Israel’s response may be disproportionate and further widen the regional crisis.
Natanyahu had promised in a nationwide address to the nation that “we will harm any enemy that attempts to harm us,” swearing “to do everything possible to defend Israel” declaring “we are strong, the military is strong and the people are strong.”
The World awaits yet another Israeli response similar to Gaza as it mulls what next step to take after the success of its multi-tier air defence array that includes the recently launched C-Dome against the Iranian attacks of Saturday.
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He who keep Israel does not sleep nor slumber