Netanyahu Dismisses Restraint Calls, Asserts Israel's Right to Respond to Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Wednesday that Israel would decide whether and how to respond to Iran's major air assault earlier this week, dismissing calls for restraint from close allies. Israel has pledged to retaliate against Iran's attack without specifying when or how, leaving the region on edge for further escalation after months of unrest linked to the ongoing war in Gaza.Israel's allies have been urging restraint since the attack, with the British and German foreign ministers reiterating these calls during their visits on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Iran's president warned that even the "tiniest" invasion of its territory would result in a "massive and harsh" response. Violence surged on Wednesday between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant Hezbollah group, which fired rockets and drones at northern Israel, wounding at least 14 Israeli soldiers.Netanyahu said that despite "all sorts of suggestions and advice" from Israel's allies, the country would make its own decisions on how to respond. Although Israel is unlikely to attack Iran directly without support from its top ally, the US, it could resort to more covert methods such as targeting senior Iranian commanders or Iran-backed groups in other countries or launching a cyber attack.US President Joe Biden's administration announced new sanctions on Iran on Tuesday and has been working to coordinate a global rebuke of the attack while urging all sides to de-escalate. Over the weekend, Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in response to an apparent Israeli strike on Iran's Embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed 12 people, including two Iranian generals.With tensions rising, Israel's allies have reinforced a message of restraint. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock each appealed for calm during separate visits to the region. Both ministers said they would push for further international sanctions on Iran.Regional tensions have escalated since the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Palestinian militant groups supported by Iran. The attack killed around 1,200 Israelis, while Israel responded with one of the deadliest and most destructive military onslaughts in recent history, killing nearly 34,000 Palestinians according to Gaza health officials.Israel has withdrawn most of its forces from Gaza after major offensives that left its two largest cities – Gaza City and Khan Younis – in ruins. However, Israeli officials say the war is not over and plan to send ground forces into Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people have sought refuge from fighting elsewhere. International efforts to broker a ceasefire and hostage release have made little progress so far.