European diplomats traveled to Israel on Wednesday to make one more plea for restraint in response to the aerial attack that Iran launched this weekend, but Britain’s foreign secretary acknowledged that an Israeli reprisal seemed inevitable.
“It is clear that the Israelis are making a decision to act,” the British foreign secretary, David Cameron, told the BBC, just before he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We hope that they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible.”
Israel’s allies, including the United States, Britain and Germany, have joined other world leaders in repeatedly pressing Mr. Netanyahu to avoid taking any action that could increase tensions with Iran, which launched more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel on Saturday night, Tehran’s first direct attack on Israel.
But Mr. Netanyahu, after meeting with Mr. Cameron and Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said that Israel would “do everything necessary to defend itself.”
He thanked Israel’s allies for their “support in words and support in actions” in remarks before a cabinet meeting, according to his office. But, he added: “They also have all kinds of suggestions and advice. I appreciate it. But I want to make it clear — we will make our own decisions.”
