Israel Does Not Desire War with Iran or Lebanon: Katz

Israel does not wish for war with either Iran or Lebanon, but will be compelled to take military action in response to direct attacks. This was stated by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who is concluding a visit to Italy. Katz made these remarks in an interview with La Repubblica.

“If Iran directly attacks us, we will strike back at Iran. And if Iranian-aligned militias carry out similar attacks in response to an assault on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, we will also retaliate against them,” he said, recalling that Israel has not claimed responsibility for the air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1.

The attack on April 1 resulted in the deaths of seven military advisors from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and six Syrians. Iran has accused Israel of being behind this attack.

According to Katz, Israel's response to missile launches from Lebanon by Hezbollah and Houthi forces from Yemen towards the Golan Heights and Eilat has been “restrained.”

The minister noted that “if, for example, missiles from Lebanon are launched at Tel Aviv as revenge for Damascus, Israel will send its planes and even its soldiers.”

He added that thousands of Israelis have been forced to leave their homes due to missiles fired by Hezbollah.

“If they do not withdraw beyond the Litani River as stipulated in the UN Security Council resolution 1701, we will have no choice but to start a war with Beirut as well. We do not want that; we prefer to pursue negotiations with the support of the US, France, Italy, and others who have troops in the region,” Katz stated.