Netanyahu decides to deploy retaliatory attack on Iran's military facilities

Media outlets, including the Washington Post, reported on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to retaliate against Iran's military and intelligence facilities during his phone call a week ago with U.S. President Joe Biden. Some analyze that, despite initially wanting to target oil or nuclear facilities in Iran, Israel downgraded the intensity of its planned attack, reflecting strong dissuasion from President Biden who was deeply concerned about potential oil price hike and expansion of war in the Middle East, especially when the U.S. Presidential election slated for November 5. Earlier, on Oct. 1, Iran launched an airstrike against Israeli territory using ballistic missiles, and Netanyahu had been warning of a "strong retaliation" since then.

Officials for the Biden administration revealed that the White House requested Israel’s decision to avoid an expansion of the war in the Middle East and a potential oil price surge. The administration also announced the deployment of additional THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) systems to Israel, along with some 100 U.S. soldiers to operate the system, following Netanyahu’s statement that Israel would not target Iran's nuclear and oil facilities, according to the Washington Post. This indicates that in return for lowering the level of retaliation, the U.S. provided Israel with THAAD systems for the second time since 2019.

However, there are mixed views on when the retaliation will take place, even within Israel. Both the Biden administration and Israel are concerned about avoiding any perception that the issue might affect the U.S. presidential election. Nevertheless, one Israeli source told the Washington Post that inaction on the Israeli side could signal its weakness to Iran, suggesting that the retaliation may occur before the U.S. election.

Some raise the possibility of Netanyahu breaking his word with President Biden. In his interview with Wall Street Journal, Frank Lowenstein, former United States Special Envoy for Middle East Peace under the Obama administration, pointed out that multiple times, Prime Minister Netanyahu said something President Biden wanted to hear and then changed his words when pushed over by Israeli extreme right, his core support base.

Israel is bombarding day after day the Gaza Strip under the control of Hamas, a Palestinian armed militant group and Lebanon where which is at ground battle with pro-Iranian militant group Hezbollah. According to the New York Times, since the declaration of war against Hamas in October last year, Israel conducted a surprise attack on a hospital premise located with a refugee camp and shelter, etc., in Deir al Balah, central Gaza, killing at least four people. Public health officials in the Gaza Strip also revealed that at least 20 people lost their lives in an airstrike on schools near Nuseirat resided by refugees. Israeli airstrike also reportedly killed at least 21 people in the village of Aitou, northern Lebanon.


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