Israel's armed forces chief has vowed to respond to Iran's unprecedented attack against the country, even after appeals for restraint poured in from world leaders fearing wider regional conflict.
Tensions were already high before Iran launched its first-ever assault on Israeli territory, firing hundreds of missiles and drones in retaliation for a deadly April 1 Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which levelled the building and killed several officers and commanders.
Western governments, including those that supported Israel in its defence, have warned against an escalation, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with his war cabinet late Monday to discuss next steps, Israeli media reported.
Following the weekend's attacks, Israel's military said it would not be distracted from the ongoing war on Gaza, where at least 33,800 people have been killed, mostly women and children.
Netanyahu had announced on the weekend he was postponing the Rafah ground invasion in the far south of the besieged enclave, where about half of Gaza's population is sheltering.
