2 weeks Ago By ASSOCIATED PRESS
JERUSALEM — Israel's defense minister warned Wednesday that his country's retaliation for a recent Iranian missile attack will be "lethal" and "surprising," while the Israeli military pushed ahead with a large-scale operation in northern Gaza and a ground offensive in Lebanon against Hezbollah militants. "Our strike will be lethal, precise and above all, surprising. They won't understand what happened and how.
They will see the results," Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said during a speech to troops. "Whoever strikes us will be harmed and pay a price." On the diplomatic front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Joe Biden held their first call in seven weeks, with a White House press secretary saying the call included discussions on Israel's deliberations over how it will respond to Iran's attack.
"It was direct, it was productive," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said of the 30-minute call. The Israeli operation in northern Gaza left dozens of people dead and threatened to shut down three hospitals more than a year into the war with Hamas, Palestinian officials and residents said..
