US officials believe Israel is finalizing targets for a retaliatory strike against Iran, focusing on military and energy infrastructure following Tehran’s missile barrage earlier this month, NBC reported on Saturday. The attack came as retaliation for Israel’s ongoing operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the deaths of several Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
Israel, however, is reportedly steering clear of targeting Iranian nuclear facilities or engaging in assassinations, according to unnamed US sources. Although no final decisions have been made, a potential response could happen during the Yom Kippur holiday. Israeli authorities have not commented publicly on the specifics of the report.
The conflict has dramatically escalated over the past year, with Israel targeting Hezbollah militants after the group launched rockets into northern Israel, coinciding with the Gaza war. Over the past day, Israel has struck 200 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, including anti-tank missile posts and terrorist cells. The strikes have injured Israeli soldiers, with one reservist and one officer severely wounded in the combat.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the Tirat HaCarmel base in southern Haifa, further escalating hostilities. Meanwhile, UN peacekeepers were injured as Israeli forces reportedly fired on UN positions, prompting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to express concern over the safety of both peacekeepers and Lebanese military personnel.
The fighting has displaced over 1.2 million people in Lebanon, with more than 2,100 reported dead. Concerns are mounting that the conflict will drag in other militant groups backed by Tehran, as well as the United States and Iran, with Iraq’s Islamic Resistance already conducting drone attacks on Israeli positions in the Golan Heights.
This escalation follows the deadly Hamas assault on Israel in early October, which led to an ongoing military campaign by Israel aimed at dismantling Hamas, causing significant casualties in Gaza. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive.
