Israel has opted to retaliate against Iran's recent attack, signaling a potential escalation of conflict in the Middle East despite international calls for restraint. The decision was made during a wartime cabinet meeting convened by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday afternoon.

Netanyahu convened the war cabinet for the second time within 24 hours to address Iran's missile and drone assaults on Israel over the weekend. According to reports from the British news agency Reuters, it was resolved during the meeting that Israel would retaliate against Iran's extensive missile and drone strikes.

Although the attacks resulted in no casualties or significant damage, Israel's military chief of staff, Harji Halevi, affirmed that Tel Aviv would indeed respond. However, no specifics regarding the nature of the response were disclosed.

Halevi visited the Novatim air base, which sustained minor damage from Iran's assault on Monday, emphasizing the necessity of a response to the barrage of missiles, cruise missiles, and drones directed at Israeli territory. Despite the lifting of the state of emergency, Israel remains on high alert.

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expressed Iran's reluctance for further escalation, stating that they do not seek additional tension. However, he warned that if Israel chooses to retaliate, Iran will not hesitate to respond.

Amidst these developments, Israel continues its ongoing operations in Gaza despite the recent Iranian attack.

The tensions between Iran and Israel escalated after an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, earlier in April, resulting in the destruction of the consulate building and the loss of several Iranian diplomats and soldiers. In retaliation, Iran launched a significant number of drones and missiles targeting Israeli territory on Saturday.