Israel-Hamas War Day 193: What's going on in Gaza, Lebanon?

The United States believes that Israel's response to Iran's missile and drone attack will be limited in scope and could include strikes against Iranian forces and Iranian proxy militias outside of Iranian territory, four American officials told NBC on Tuesday. 

This counter-attack could include the targeting of facilities or munitions shipments in Syria, the officials said. 

The American sources also emphasized that it is unclear when the reaction will occur, but they believe that it could happen at any moment and that Israel has not briefed them on their final decision, NBC reported. 

This is a developing story. 

Israel has to respond to prevent Iran from normalizing missile and drone attacks on Israel, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein (Likud) told The Jerusalem Post as the country’s war cabinet debated a retaliation plan.

“There will be a response,” Edelstein said, in the aftermath of the dramatic actions of a newly forged defensive coalition of five armies — Israel, the US, Jordan, France, and Great Britain — that repelled over 300 drones and missiles Iran had launched at Israel early Sunday morning.

“I don't think that we can pretend that nothing really happened because we managed to defend ourselves and [didn’t] let all these ground missiles and ballistic missiles and the drones kill thousands of Israelis,” Edelstein said.

Israel has reportedly sent messages to Arab countries across the Middle East saying that it will not respond to Iran's drone and missile attack in a way that would endanger these countries or their governments, KAN reported early on Tuesday. 

This is a developing story.

Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee Abolfazl Amouei stated that should Israel respond to Iran's drone and missile strike, Iran is "prepared to use a weapon that we have never used," Iran International reported on Monday. 

In the same statement, Amouei said that Israel should consider its next steps and "act wisely."

This is a developing story. 

The European Parliament voted for a resolution Thursday last week that included financial assistance for education in Palestinian territories. The resolution also included reform measures to prevent Palestinian education from promoting violence or using violent imagery.

The vote also ensured that no EU funds are allocated to the use of violent or antisemitic material taught to young students. The parliament overwhelmingly adopted this resolution, with 412 in favor, 172 against, with 22 abstentions.

The reform, according to the parliament, was passed so that the violent imagery taught in Palestinian textbooks prior would cease and no longer be an obstacle to peaceful solutions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Iran’s weekend drone and missile attack on Israel was an “embarrassing failure,” the US said, stressing that it highlighted the IDF’s defensive prowess as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet weighed reprisal actions.

“I've seen reporting that the Iranians meant to fail that this spectacular and embarrassing failure was all by design,” US National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby told reporters in Washington on Monday, as he explained that such statements were patently false.

“Let's be straight, given the scale of this attack, Iran's intent was clearly to cause significant destruction and casualties,” Kirby said as he spoke of how a coalition of five armies — Israel, the US, Jordan, France, and Great Britain — repelled over 300 missiles and drone targeting the Jewish state.

It was the first time that this coalition of forces had acted as a military defensive force both in the region and in defense of Israel.

Iran’s attack failed, Kirby said, “because it was defeated by Israel, by the United States, and by a coalition of other partners committed to Israel's defense.”

An Arrow II missile interceptor is displayed in front of journalists at an Israeli air defence command in the Palmahim military base south of Tel Aviv May 12, 2011. (credit: VIA REUTERS)

He also dismissed reports that the coalition against Iran succeeded because Iran had provided messages through third parties detailing the time and scale of the attack.

“I've also seen Iran say that they provided early warning to help Israel prepare its defenses,” Kirby said, stressing that “all of this is categorically false.”

“There was never any message to us or to anyone else on the timeframe, the targets, or the type of response. 

“In fact, before yesterday, it was presumed that 100 ballistic missiles might overwhelm even the best defensive systems that was Iran's intent and as you all saw for yourself. This attack was defeated thanks to our preparations,” Kirby said.

Reinvigoration of Israel

Iran’s attack came half a year after the IDF failed to protect its southern border against a Hamas attack. It also came at a moment when it had appeared isolated on the international stage due to opposition to its military campaign to destroy Hamas, which is an Iranian proxy group.

“Israel today is in a far stronger strategic position than it was only a few days ago,” Kirby stated.

“Iran's vaunted missile program, something it has used to threaten Israel and the region, proved to be far less effective. Israel's defenses, on the other hand, proved even better than many had long assumed.” 

“Much of the world today is standing with Israel,” he stressed. 

The defensive action by coalition forces against Iran also showed that the US takes its commitment to the region and Israel seriously, he said.

“We got skin in the game. And we proved that,” he said.

Kirby stressed that the US was “not looking for a war with Iran. We are not looking to broaden and deepen the conflict in the region.”

US officials have said they would not take part in any Israeli reprisal action toward Iran. US President Joe Biden has urged Prime Minister Benjamin not to consider that the successful defense of Israel was a victory.

Kirby, however, issued a veiled threat to Iran, reminding it that moving forward the US remained committed to Israel’s defense.

“IF I'm sitting in Tehran, and I'm taking a look at what just happened on Saturday night, I don't think I'd be betting that the United States is not willing to get engaged here.”

The IDF struck a building in the Tal as-Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah city, Maariv reported early Tuesday citing Palestinian media.

It was also claimed that three Palestinians were killed as a result of the attack.

This is a developing story.

The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief said on Monday he is concerned about Israel possibly targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, but that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections of Iranian facilities would resume on Tuesday.

Israel's military chief said on Monday his country would respond to a weekend missile and drone attack by Iran, launched in retaliation for a suspected Israeli airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus on April 1. This comes amid calls for restraint by allies anxious to avoid an escalation of conflict in the Middle East.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said Iran closed its nuclear facilities on Sunday over "security considerations" and that while they reopened on Monday, he kept IAEA inspectors away "until we see that the situation is completely calm."

"We are going to resume tomorrow," Grossi told reporters in New York. "This has not had an impact on our inspection activity."

Preparing for the worst

When asked about the possibility of an Israel strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Grossi said: "We are always concerned about this possibility." He urged "extreme restraint."

An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel April 14, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)

The IAEA regularly inspects Iran's main nuclear facilities like its enrichment plants at Natanz that are at the heart of the country's nuclear program.

Iran says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, but Western powers accuse Tehran of seeking to make nuclear bombs.