Iran attack: Netanyahu pledges to respond and confirms that “Israel will make its own decisions”

Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem after meeting Netanyahu, Lord Cameron said he was there to “show our solidarity” after the “horrific” attack by Iran.

He continued: “We hope that anything Israel does will be as limited, purposeful and smart as possible.”

He added: “It is not in anyone’s interest to see an escalation, and this is what we said very clearly to all the people I spoke to here in Israel.”

After the meeting, the Israeli Prime Minister said: “I want to make clear that we will make our own decisions, and the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself.”

Netanyahu’s statements would reinforce the belief in Western capitals that Israel is prepared to take action against Iran, and that there is a limit to the number of times they can call for restraint.

Israel is fully aware of the concerns in Europe and the United States about the escalating war in the region.

However, Western leaders may take comfort in the fact that Israeli leaders are trying to exploit the diplomatic support they gained after the Iranian attacks, which saw international condemnation and the promise of new sanctions on Tehran.

It is possible that Netanyahu may not want to destroy this alliance, through a retaliatory action that plunges the region into a full-scale war.

Lord Cameron is one of several Western foreign ministers who are expected to visit Israel in the coming days as part of a diplomatic campaign to prevent this from happening.

Before his meeting with Netanyahu, Lord Cameron held talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz.

The British Foreign Secretary also visited the occupied Palestinian territories to meet with Muhammad Mustafa, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority.

Later, Cameron will travel to attend the G7 ministers’ meeting in Italy, where he will push for coordinated sanctions on Iran.

Earlier, the British Foreign Secretary accused Tehran of “standing behind many malicious activities” in the Middle East, and called on other countries to adopt measures aimed at restricting Iran’s influence.

The United States and the European Union are considering imposing further sanctions on Iran, and Israel is calling on its allies to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – a major military, political and economic force in Iran – as a terrorist organization.

The Israeli government repeatedly pledged to respond to the unprecedented Iranian attack on Saturday night, in which Tehran launched more than 300 drones and missiles towards Israel.

But Israeli air defense systems, with the help of Britain, the United States, France and Jordan, were able to intercept almost all the missiles.

The direct Iranian attack on Israel came in response to an air strike in Syria on April 1, which led to the killing of prominent Iranian military figures. Israel has not publicly confirmed responsibility for the attack, but it is widely believed to have been behind it.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke by phone on Tuesday evening with Netanyahu and warned that “a major escalation will only deepen instability in the region,” adding: “This is the moment when reason must prevail.”

Minister Cameron will seek to reinforce the British Prime Minister’s call for restraint during his visit to Israel, and put more pressure on its leaders to make more efforts to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza – but he is walking a delicate diplomatic line.

The British minister will not want to appear arrogant towards an ally that has just been subjected to an unprecedented attack on its territory.

This is why Lord Cameron also speaks about the need for Hamas to release the hostages, and the importance of Western powers imposing more sanctions on Iran.

His presence in Jerusalem is a show of support and solidarity, but it is also an attempt to warn Israeli leaders that any major escalation would be against their interests and those of the world.