Israeli official security and governmental sources told The Jerusalem Post on Friday: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Israel retaliated where they were attacked.”
That said, officially, Israel will not accept responsibility for this attack for strategic reasons. Sources explain that the Iranians claim it was an “explosion at a factory” because they wish to avoid escalation. Israeli sources told the Post, that It’s unclear why the Pentagon disclosed to the American media that Israel was involved; they could have remained silent, they say. Thet could of preserved Iran’s dignity, and avoided escalating the situation on their own.
At the Kirya base in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the entire security and diplomatic leadership have been present for 24 hours, coordinating with regional partners in Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
That said, Israel does not yet accept responsibility.
In recent hours, countries in the region have conveyed messages to Israel that if Iran attacks, they are here to help.
Israel reportedly informed the US of the strike
A senior US official also confirmed this on Friday morning of the attack, stating that “We were not surprised,” while also telling Walla that Israel informed the US in advance of the strike.
A Bloomberg report said that Israeli officials notified the US on Thursday that they planned to launch a strike in the next 24-48 hours.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.
