- Title: Israel hopes its response to Iranian salvo will end 'exchange of blows'
- Date: 16th April 2024
- Summary: JERUSALEM (APRIL 16, 2024) (REUTERS) HEAD OF THE KNESSET FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE COMMITTEE, YULI EDELSTEIN, DURING INTERVIEW ISRAELI FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE KNESSET FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE COMMITTEE, YULI EDELSTEIN, SAYING: "But one thing has to be clear - after the brutal attack coming straight from Iranian territory into the state of Israel, with all due respect to the fact that we managed to protect ourselves, defend ourselves thanks to our IDF (Israel Defence Forces) and to our Air Force - we can't pretend that it will pass unnoticed, we'll have to react. Iranians will know that we reacted and I sincerely hope that it will teach them a lesson that you can't attack a sovereign country just because you, you find it, you find it doable." VARIOUS OF EDELSTEIN DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE KNESSET FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE COMMITTEE, YULI EDELSTEIN, SAYING: "Different options are on the table. They've been presented to the war cabinet. They've been discussed. And as I've said, the moment, the moment the retaliation will come, it will be quite clear to the Iranians and the rest of the world that, that Israel will continue defending itself whenever necessary, from whatever aggressor we'll be facing." EDELSTEIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE KNESSET FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE COMMITTEE, YULI EDELSTEIN, SAYING: "We are calculating the possible responses from the Iranian side. We are listening very carefully and with a lot of attention to the messages and advice we are getting from our allies, who were very instrumental in helping us to defend ourselves from the Iranian missiles and drones. Having said all that, I think I won't surprise you if I'll tell you that the most important task of any democratically elected leadership, including that of Israel, is to protect its own citizens. And we will act accordingly. We are not in the business of revenge; it's not the question of revenge, it's the question of making it quite clear no one ever will be able to attack Israel without consequences." EDELSTEIN DURING INTERVIEW SCREEN CAPTURING EDELSTEIN DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE KNESSET FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE COMMITTEE, YULI EDELSTEIN, SAYING: "I sincerely hope that they will understand that it's not in their interest to continue this kind of exchange of blows. We are not interested in a full scale war. We are not, as I've said in the business of revenge. We have to make it clear that the Iranians can't decide that now every week they will be able to launch missiles or send drones and it will pass unnoticed." EDELSTEIN (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF THE KNESSET FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE COMMITTEE, YULI EDELSTEIN, SAYING: "We always take into consideration the international norms, and also, you know, I will say it very loud and clear, we don't have the pilots or officers who would purposely decide to shoot on civilians. It just doesn't happen in our army." VARIOUS OF EDELSTEIN DURING INTERVIEW
- Embargoed: 30th April 2024 16:15
- Keywords: Gaza Hamas Israel Knesset Yuli Edelstein
- Location: JERUSALEM
- City: JERUSALEM
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001560816042024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: When Israel responds to the unprecedented weekend Iranian drone and missile salvoes, its aim will be to send a message of deterrence to Tehran while drawing a line under this round of hostilities, a senior Israeli lawmaker said on Tuesday (April 16).
Among Israeli considerations in planning a counter-strike are the war-wariness of Westerns powers, the risk to air crews from any sorties against Iran and the need to keep focus on the more than half-year-long Gaza offensive, Yuli Edelstein said.
"We'll have to react. Iranians will know we reacted. And I sincerely hope that it will teach them a lesson that you can't attack a sovereign country just because you find it doable," said Edelstein, who chairs the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.
But he added: "I sincerely hope that they will understand that the it's not in their interest to continue this kind of exchange of blows. We are not interested in a full-scale war. We are not, as I have said, in the business of revenge."
Israeli officials say the response to the Iranian attacks will be agreed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet. Edelstein, a former cabinet minister from Netanyahu's Likud party whose role now involves reviewing government decisions, did not make clear to what extent he had been briefed on operational plans.
The launch of hundreds of pilotless kamikaze planes, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles on Saturday night marked the first direct assault on Israel by Iran. Most of the threats were downed by Israeli, U.S., British, French and Jordanian forces.
Iran called the barrage retaliation for an Israeli strike that destroyed a building in its embassy compound in Damascus and killed two of its generals and several other officers.
Israel - which has not taken responsibility for the April 1 attack - says it cannot allow an open front with the Iranians, especially as it battles Tehran-backed militias in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
The Iranian barrage wounded an Israeli girl and caused limited damage to an airbase. Asked if the Israeli response would seek to avoid greater casualties, Edelstein said targets were still being discussed but "we always take always take into consideration the international norms" and Israel did not intentionally target civilians.
Israel used warplanes and high-altitude interceptors to fend off the Iranian salvoes, which Edelstein said cost "a huge amount of money" that was worth investing on self-defense.
Among his committee's duties was ensuring Israel had steady supplies of interceptor missiles. He said rumors that Israel was running short of interceptors were untrue.
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