Israel has reportedly drawn up plans to attack Iran.
According to the Telegraph, the plans were signed off at a war cabinet meeting this afternoon, though it is not clear whether Israel intends to immediately implement them. Its western allies have cautioned Israel to show restraint.
“Over the last two hours, we approved operational plans for both offensive and defensive action,” Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement. Rear Adm. Hagari said: “We will continue to protect the State of Israel, and together with our partners, we will continue to build a more secure and stable future for the entire Middle East,” he added.
Israel's war cabinet has approved of offensive and defensive plans of attack against Iran (Israeli Prime Minister Office/AFP Getty Images)
While some members of Israel’s war cabinet had proposed an immediate retaliatory strike, this was called off due to pressure from US president Joe Biden, according to the New York Times.
Other members of the cabinet, including Benny Gantz, are believed to have also cautioned against immediate retaliation, saying that the country still had higher priorities – “most importantly, returning the hostages and removing the threat from residents of Israel’s north and south”.
Israel is still on high alert following Saturday night’s attack, which saw Iran launch over 300 missiles and drones into Israel. 99 per cent were brought down by the Iron Dome, assisted by the Israeli Air Force and US, UK, Jordanian and French fighter jets.
A seven-year-old girl from a Bedouin village is being treated for critical injuries after being hit by falling shrapnel in al-Fur'ah, near Arad, and eight other people were reported to have suffered minor injuries.
Israeli cabinet ministers have credited the alliance between Israel, the US and its other allies, with Israel’s minister of defence, Yoav Gallant saying “a strong and powerful alliance, with coordination and synchronization between the defence establishments of the State of Israel, the US and our partners” had been the key to the successful defence.
Earlier in the day, G7 leaders met up, later releasing a statement “unequivocally” condemning “in the strongest terms” Iran’s attack against Israel. “We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security.”
Demanding that Iran and its proxies halted their attacks, the world leaders said they were “ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilizing initiatives”.
In the meantime, according to the Telegraph’s daily blog, the UK’s Foreign Office announced that Foreign Secretary David Cameron had summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires after Tehran’s attack. A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “At a time of great tension in the Middle East, this was a profoundly dangerous and unnecessary escalation by Iran”, reiterating that the UK “would continue to stand up for Israel’s security”.
This afternoon, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that RAF shot down “a number” of Iranian attack drones.
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Sunak said: “This is a dangerous and unnecessary escalation which I have condemned in the strongest terms.
“Thanks to an international coordinated effort, which the UK participated in, almost all of these missiles were intercepted, saving lives not just in Israel but in neighbouring countries like Jordan as well.”
“I can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones,” he added.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed that RAF fighter jets were sent to assist Israel in intercepting the missiles and drones launched by Iran (Photo: MoD)
Labour has repeated its calls for the government to proscribe Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation, with Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy saying that Iran’s attack “highlights once again the extreme danger of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps)”.
Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP has called for the government to proscribe as terrorists the IRCG (Photo: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty)
Mr Lammy also called for further sanctions against Iranian drone technology and pledged Labour support for the move. “It’s time that we stepped up sanctions on those drones, and I hope the government will be coming forward with more plans for that tomorrow,” he said.
