Israeli journalist Barak Ravid analyzed yesterday's Israeli decision-making

💬 In discussing their response to the barrage of rockets launched from Lebanon, Israeli ministers concluded that Israel didn't have any interest in getting dragged into a war in Lebanon that would risk turning into a regional conflict.

During the consultation held by PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ahead of a security cabinet meeting on Thursday, the IDF and Mossad presented different assessments on what Hezbullah’s response would be to Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. Mossad chief David Barnea argued Hezbollah would likely respond to any Israeli airstrike and therefore Israel should strike the organization in addition to Hamas and Lebanese targets.

But IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said the Israeli interest was to keep Hezbullah out of the equation, and to do that, Israel's response should stay focused on Hamas.

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⋯ Halevi's position ultimately prevailed as the recommendation to take at the security cabinet meeting.

The security chiefs told the ministers that a wider response against Hezbullah would likely result in the organization launching precision missiles toward Israeli cities, which could escalate into a war.

A key goal of the response was to avoid a violent clash with Hezbullah in Lebanon and to keep Hamas fronts in both places from uniting, according to two Israeli officials.

(Photo of a meeting between Hezbullah and Hamas's leadership last year)

Nothing is obvious about the decision making ongoing in Hezbullah, if they intend to strike empty lands in Israel or not.

Not striking would be against their promise, but avoiding might be a calculated de-escalation considering the event started as a big escalation from Lebanon.

In the last incident of this nature, back in 2021, a few rockets were fired from Lebanon followed by an Israeli retaliation the same night on empty roads.

The next morning Hezbullah fired 20 rockets at empty lands in Israel.

Ramming attack in Tel Aviv kills one settler and injures 6 others, bringing the total of Israelis killed today to 3.

Israelis have been denied the sense of security in the north, south, and in the capital itself.

⋯ Footage from the scene.

⋯ All the wounded and the dead were tourists; the attack occured in a hotel area.

The attacker was a Palestinian from the 1948 lands, and had an Israeli citizenship. He was martyred shortly after being arrested.

Correction over an earlier incident:

The mother did not die, unlike her two daughters (of British-Israeli citizenships). This was confirmed by a spokesperson for the British Foreign Office.

Many accounts mistakenly reported it.

Surveillance camera footage of the ramming operation that occurred earlier in Tel Aviv.

⋯ Photo of 45 year old Yousef Abu Jaber, the Palestinian man who carried out the ramming attack in Tel Aviv.

He was a Kafr Qasim resident with no prior security offenses.

🚨 Initial reports of a rocket attack towards the Golan Heights.

Impact in open areas. No Iron Dome activation.

⋯ Media sources reporting that a total of 3 rockets were fired from Syria, one landing in an open area near Meitsar, one in Jordan, and one falling short in Syria.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited the head of the opposition Yair Lapid to a "security insight" meeting.

Israel is currently under varying levels of pressures from:

- Gaza
- West Bank
- Jerusalem
- Lebanon
- Syria
- Israel (protests)

Israeli media is reporting that the Egyptian army allegedly foiled an attempt to launch rockets towards Eilat, Israel.