Iranian Attack Saved Rafah from Israeli Ground Assault: CNN

According to CNN, citing two Israeli sources, the Jewish state has abandoned plans to launch an attack on the Palestinian city of Rafah. Operations in the southern Gaza Strip were expected to begin on Monday, April 15, with leaflets being dropped in the targeted areas.

Israel was preparing to take initial steps toward a ground assault on Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, where over 1 million people seek refuge, but suspended the campaign over the weekend following Iran's attack, leading to heated debates within Israel's military office about how to respond, Israeli sources told CNN.

Two Israeli sources reported that the Israel Air Force was set to begin distributing leaflets in the Rafah areas on Monday, preparing for a ground assault. An Israeli official stated that Israel remains determined to carry out a ground assault in Rafah, although the timelines for civil evacuation and the upcoming ground attack remain uncertain at this point.

Israeli military officials have refrained from commenting. Meanwhile, the country's military cabinet remains resolute in responding to the Iranian attack. Officials continue to discuss the timing and scale of such a response, they said.

In addition to a potential military response, the defense cabinet is also considering diplomatic options for further isolating Iran on the global stage. Benny Gantz, for instance, insists on a more rapid response, according to two Israeli officials. Gantz believes that the longer Israel delays responding to Iran's attack, the harder it will be to gain international support.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently blocking any decision-making. Many countries are already warning Israel against escalating the situation through military responses. The Israeli government is aware that the country currently enjoys international support and goodwill from its allies and does not wish to squander it.

President Erdogan acknowledged that he cannot allow Iran's first attack on Israeli soil to go unanswered. A meeting of military ministers lasted several hours on Sunday without reaching a decision, according to an Israeli official.

U.S. President Joe Biden had a conversation with Netanyahu following the weekend events and made it clear that the U.S. would not participate in any offensive actions against Iran. Biden tried to convince Netanyahu that he should consider the events from Saturday night as a 'victory' since Iran's assaults were mostly ineffective, and instead showcased 'Israel's remarkable ability to defend itself and even push back unprecedented attacks.'

Netanyahu emphasized the importance of an assault on Rafah to disperse the remaining Hamas battalions, despite significant pressure from the United States urging him to cancel a large-scale ground assault. The future of the Gaza war and the upcoming ground assault on Rafah is also influencing the military cabinet's debate regarding a possible response to Iran's attack, CNN notes.

A military response could lead to further escalation of conflict with Iran, diverting military attention and resources away from the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli government has vowed to bring complete defeat to the Hamas organization. American officials confirmed last week that the U.S. has not seen anything like the comprehensive plan proposed by the Israelis for such an operation.