While the Israeli government has repeatedly promised a harsh response to a rocket attack in the Golan Heights, the tones are slightly more subdued from a number of officials.
Israel thus wants to hit the Hezbollah movement in a way that hurts.
But the country does not want to drag the Middle East into a regular war.
This is what two Israeli officials told the Reuters news agency after 12 children and teenagers were killed by a rocket attack in the Golan Heights, which is occupied by Israel.
Two other officials say Israel is bracing for several days of fighting after the rocket attack, which Israel blames on Hezbollah. Hezbollah has denied the accusation.
The Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israel have been firing at each other at the border for many months. The attack in the Golan Heights has caused fears of an actual war to rise.
All four officials, including a senior defense official and a diplomatic source, spoke on condition of anonymity.
– The assessment is that the response will not lead to a full-scale war, says a diplomatic source.
– It will not be in our interest at the moment.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, visited the town that was hit on Monday – Majdal Shams – and promised a “tough” response.
– The State of Israel will and cannot let this pass, he says, according to a press release from his office.
– Our response is coming, and it will be tough.
Similar messages have come from several top ministers in the government.
On Sunday, members of Israel’s security cabinet approved that Netanyahu and the defense minister can make a decision on the type of response that will be discussed and the timing of it.
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, citing anonymous officials, has written that there will be a “limited but significant” response.
The article reports on everything from the possibility of a limited attack on infrastructure – including bridges, power plants and ports – to hitting Hezbollah weapons depots and military leaders.
Hezbollah draws much of its support from Iran, which also helped found the movement in 1982.
It has a militant and a political branch, but also provides health care and social and humanitarian aid.
/ritzau/Reuters
Source: www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk
