Israeli president calls Iran's attack 'declaration of war'

LONDON

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday said Iran's overnight missile and drone attack on Israel was a "declaration of war," and Tel Aviv is "considering all options."

"Every one of us should look and ask, what would we do had we been attacked in such an aggressive way as we were attacked last night," Herzog said in an interview with Sky News.

Asked whether he thinks that Israel should respond to the attacks by retaliating against Iran, he said they are "considering all options."

"This is like a real war ... this is a declaration of war," Herzog said, referring to the Iranian attacks.

Israel’s war cabinet met on Sunday afternoon to discuss possible responses to the Iranian drone and missile attack.

Iran launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel late on Saturday in response to the April 1 attack on its consulate in Damascus that killed several Iranian commanders.

The IRGC is said to have fired hundreds of drones and missiles in an attack that lasted several hours, many of which were intercepted by Israeli air defense systems. The US, UK and France helped shooting down the projectiles.

Herzog said he was "happy that we are part of an incredible coalition of nations that has been part and parcel in preventing most of these missiles and drones and weapons to come into Israel."

Israel has waged a military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack led by Hamas, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed.

More than 33,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, besides causing mass destruction and conditions of famine.

Israel also stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.