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Israel seems poised to retaliate
Quick Facts
- An Israeli response to Iran’s attack seems inevitable. Top European diplomats traveled to Israel to make a plea for restraint.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to move forward with a response despite pressure from the U.S., Britain, and Germany.
- Heavy rains in the U.A.E. and Oman led to record levels of rainfall, causing fatalities and disruptions.
An Israeli response to Iran’s attack seems inevitable. Top European diplomats traveled to Israel to make one more plea for the country to show restraint in response to Iran’s aerial attack over the weekend. But David Cameron, Britain’s foreign secretary, said that a reprisal seemed inevitable.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, signaled that he plans to move forward with a response, despite pressure from the U.S., Britain, Germany, and other countries to de-escalate the situation. After meeting with the diplomats, Netanyahu thanked Israel’s allies for their “support in words and support in actions,” according to his office. But, he added: “I want to make it clear — we will make our own decisions.”
Israeli officials are said to be considering a range of options, including a direct strike on Iran, a strike on an Iranian target in another country, a cyberattack, and assassinations. They want to send a clear message to Tehran while not inciting a major escalation.
Quick Facts
- Israeli detention: Gazans released after being detained by Israel described graphic scenes of physical abuse, according to a report released by UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.
- Lebanon: Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, took responsibility for an attack in northern Israel that the Israeli military said had injured 14 soldiers.
- Russia hit Ukraine as the U.S. moves on aid. At least 17 people were killed yesterday and dozens more were reported injured when three Russian missiles struck Chernihiv, north of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said.
Explosions were also reported yesterday at a key Russian base in the Moscow-occupied Crimean Peninsula, in what seemed to be a Ukrainian attack. Ukrainian officials did not comment on the apparent attack, which took place in Dzhankoi, a hub for Russian roads and railways, but Russian bloggers affiliated with the Kremlin reported that Ukrainian missiles had struck around the base.
Context: Ukraine has been trying to target Russian weapons at their source, in part because U.S. military aid has been largely suspended in the face of Republican opposition. Ukraine is also running out of the ammunition it needs for its air defense systems, which it uses to fend off a near-daily volley of missiles.
The frontline: Thousands of foreign fighters signed up to fight with Ukraine. The Times spent four days alongside some of them.
Heavy rains battered the U.A.E. and Oman. Record levels of rainfall brought cities across the United Arab Emirates and Oman to a standstill. At least 19 people were killed in Oman.
The rain led to flights being diverted from Dubai, as videos showed planes leaving waves in their wake as they taxied down flooded runways. In Muscat, Oman’s capital, flash flooding turned streets into raging rivers.
Experts said the extreme deluge had probably been the result of a regular, rainy weather system, supercharged by climate change. The U.A.E. experienced its largest rainfall event in 75 years on Tuesday, the government said.
Quick Facts
- Britain: The Conservative government hopes to pass a bill this week on sending asylum seekers to Rwanda. The bill has come under sustained criticism.
- U.S.: China has been trying to gain access to critical infrastructure in the U.S. so that it can threaten those systems in the event of a conflict, the National Security Agency director said.
- Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi was moved by the military junta to an unknown location from a prison in the capital, raising fears about her safety.
MORE TOP NEWS
Britain: The Conservative government hopes to pass a bill this week on sending asylum seekers to Rwanda. The bill has come under sustained criticism.
U.S.: China has been trying to gain access to critical infrastructure in the U.S. so that it can threaten those systems in the event of a conflict, the National Security Agency director said.
Myanmar: Aung San Suu Kyi was moved by the military junta to an unknown location from a prison in the capital, raising fears about her safety.
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